Clinical evaluation of end-threaded, positive-profile, screw-tipped, Steinmann pinning for management of femur fractures in dogs

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of a positive-profile, end-threaded Steinmann intramedullary (Admit) pin for the management of femoral fractures in dogs. A total of 41 dogs with various types of diaphyseal femoral fractures were included. The animals ranged from one month to four years of age (juvenile d” 1 yr, n = 37; adult 1 - 7 yr, n = 4) and weighed between 2.5 kg and 33 kg. All patients underwent detailed clinical, orthopaedic, and neurological examinations, followed by radiographic assessment (orthogonal projections) immediately after surgery and at regular intervals until radiographic evidence of fracture union was observed. Postoperatively, inflammation, pain on palpation, and lameness progressively decreased in all dogs. Intraoperatively, the extent of soft-tissue damage and technical difficulty were rated as moderate to high; however, fracture reduction and fixation stability were consistently graded as good to excellent. By the final reappraisal (49.17±6.93 days postoperatively), radiographic healing was complete in most cases, with 95.23% categorized in fracture healing grades 1 and 2. Weight-bearing improved markedly from a mean score of 0.7 on the day of implant fixation to 9.2 at the final evaluation, and 24 of the 29 dogs re-evaluated achieved full weight bearing. Overall, the clinical outcome was rated as good to excellent in the majority of cases. These findings suggest that positive-profile, end-threaded Steinmann intramedullary pinning is an effective and reliable technique for stabilizing diaphyseal femoral fractures in dogs.