title: Intramedullary interlocking nail stabilisation of 21 humeral fractures in 19 dogs and one cat.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the suitability of the intramedullary interlocking nail to stabilise humeral diaphyseal fractures in dogs and cats.
  
  
  METHODS
  This multi-centre study retrospectively examined medical records, between June 1994 and May 2001, of 19 dogs and one cat, in which a total of 21 humeral fractures were stabilised with intramedullary interlocking nails.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Animals ranged in body-weight from 4 to 97 kg. Eighteen (86%) of the fractures were comminuted. Adjunctive stabilisation was used in twelve (57%) fractures and bone grafts in nine (43%) fractures. A rapid return of function was noted in the majority of animals, with 14 (67%) having good or excellent function within four days of surgery. In two fractures the repair collapsed when a single proximal transcortical screw was placed cranial to the tricipital line of the humerus. This suggests that if a single transcortical screw is placed proximally the screw should be distal or caudal to the tricipital line in order to engage sufficient cortical bone. Eighteen (86%) of the fractures healed when stabilised with intramedullary interlocking nails. Three fractures did not heal. One was in a dog where a pathological fracture was temporarily stabilised with an intramedullary interlocking nail, one in a dog that died of an abdominal crisis three weeks after surgery and one in a dog in which fracture stabilisation collapsed due to incorrect implant selection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intramedullary interlocking nails are well suited to the stabilisation of humeral diaphyseal fractures in dogs and cats.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Specialist Services, Underwood, Queensland.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Moses
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: O I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Lanz
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Stubbs
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001858:Bone Nails / Q000662:veterinary; D002415:Cats / Q000293:injuries*; D004285:Dogs / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary*; D006810:Humeral Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D011793:Queensland; D011859:Radiography; D011996:Records / Q000662:veterinary; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014481:United States