Augmentation of diaphyseal fractures of the radius and ulna in toy breed dogs using a free autogenous omental graft and bone plating

Objectives: Evaluation of the short-term outcome, duration of bone healing, and complications following bone plate fixation in dogs weighing <6 kg, with and without the use of a free autogenous greater omental graft (OG). Materials and methods: A retrospective clinical study reviewed the medical records of 25 dogs of body weight <6 kg with mid to distal diaphyseal fractures of the radius and ulna (29 fractures) treated with open reduction bone plate fixation. Thirteen out of 29 fractures were implanted with an additional 2-3 cm3 OG lateral, cranial, and medial to the fracture site, adjacent to the bone plate. Results: Median time to radiographic healing in OG fractures (n = 11) was 70 days (range 28-98) compared to 106 days (range: 56-144) in non-OG grafted fractures (n = 14). The OG dogs had no major complications; minor complications included oedema, erythema, and mild osteopenia. Six of the eight non-OG dogs for which follow-up could be obtained developed osteopenia necessitating implant removal, four of which re-fractured the radius one to five months after implant removal, with one dog re-fracturing the limb a second time and resulting in amputation. Telephone follow-up of owners of OG dogs (n = 11) three to 15 months (median 10) post-surgery did not identify any signs of lameness or other complications. Owners of the non-OG dogs (n = 8) reported that there were not any signs of lameness six to 48 months (median 36) post-surgery. Clinical relevance: Free autogenous omental grafting of diaphyseal fractures of the radius and ulna was associated with radial and ulnar healing with minimal complications in dogs weighing less than 6 kg.