Clinical study on the use of supracondylar femur plate (J plate/ hockey stick plate) for repair of supracondylar femur fractures in cats

The current study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Supracondylar femur plate for repair of supracondylar femur fractures in cats. Out of the clinical cases presented, 1% of cases in cats correspond to fractures, in which 25% correspond to supracondylar femur fractures. This study was conducted on six cats with age ranging from 4-11months, in 5 female and 1 male cat presented to the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology at the College of Veterinary Science, Hyderabad with the chief complaint of falling from an height. These six cases of fractures were diagnosed by clinical signs, orthopaedic examination and survey radiography. The symptoms observed in the cats presented for treatment were pain on manipulation, abnormal angulation and lameness immediately after trauma, swelling, non-weight bearing, dangling of the limb and crepitation at the fracture site. Pre-operative radiographic examination in plain orthogonal views, i.e., cranio-caudal and medio-lateral radiographs revealed supracondylar fractures in all cats. These fractures were stabilized with 2.0 mm supracondylar femur plate 1 in right femur and 5 in left femur. Good implant stability throughout the treatment period without any complications was achieved all cats. In all six cats in the present study showed partial weight bearing on the 1st post- operative day. All cats showed normal weight bearing at rest, the weight bearing of the affected limb while walking from 2nd Post-operative day. All cats achieved complete weight bearing by 15th post-operative day. i.e. from Grade V to Grade I. The radiographs obtained on 30th day Post-operative day revealed proper apposition, decreased fracture gap, appearance of progressive bridging callus with adequate radio-density in all 6 cats, and on 60th day revealed continuity of complete corticomedullary cavity and compete bone formation without any complications with fast healing. Based on present study, it was concluded that supracondylar femur plate was successful in the treatment of supracondylar femur fractures in cats.