Minimally Invasive Plate Osteosynthesis

This chapter discusses the locking plate applications in veterinary orthopedics. Minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) is defined as reduction and fixation of a fracture with a bone plate without direct surgical exposure of the fracture site. The effect of MIPO on fracture healing was evaluated in a cohort of dogs with radius‐ulna fracture using ultrasonography, power Doppler ultrasonography and radiographs. MIPO preserves an optimal environment for fracture healing by limiting surgical dissection and avoiding disruption of the fracture hematoma. The process of bone healing is dependent on numerous interactions between biologic and mechanical factors. The principal biomechanical difference between conventional and locking plates is the mode of load transfer through a fractured bone. Locking plates are suited for the humerus as precise contouring can be difficult on its cranio‐lateral side with the prominent lateral supracondylar crest and the deep brachial groove.