title: Use of a locking compression plate as an external fixator for repair of a tarsometatarsal fracture in a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).
abstract: We describe the successful treatment of a tarsometatarsal fracture in a mature bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) using a locking compression plate as an external fixator. The anatomy of the area (inelastic dermis and minimal subcutaneous space) and the high forces placed on a fracture at that site necessitated a unique approach to fixation. The unconventional use of a locking compression plate as an external fixator was minimally invasive, well tolerated by the eagle, and provided adequate stability in opposing fracture forces. This technique may serve as a method of fixation for tarsometatarsal fractures in other large avian species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, 519 Hoerlein Hall, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Crandall
authors.forename: Jamie R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bellah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D001860:Bone Plates / Q000662:veterinary*; D020307:Eagles; D005260:Female; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*