It was a shock when Jack’s owners came home to find their two year old black and white cat unable to bear any weight on one of his back legs. They had no idea how he had managed to hurt himself as they live in a quiet cul-de-sac next to woodland so a bump with a car seemed very unlikely.
Whilst the mystery of how Jack injured himself remained (and still remains) unsolved, our x-rays showed a nasty fracture that was surprisingly near the top of his femur (thigh bone).
There are several ways to repair a femoral fracture, but given that there was limited bone to work with between the fracture site and the hip, the repair of Jack’s fracture was both challenging and risky with regard to success. We decided on the combination of an intra-medullary pin ‘tied’ to an external fixator. This form of fracture repair is very strong, resisting both bending and rotational forces, and guards against damage when the patient becomes more active.
Jack’s fracture has healed well. The external fixator has been removed and his leg is once again fully functioning. Let’s hope he keeps away from further mischief!
Photo 1: The fracture site is clearly visible
Photo 2: IM pin in place; drilling holes to insert external fixator
Photo 3: The fracture side realigned mid-surgery
Photo 4: Jack’s external fixator being fitted
Photo 5: X-ray of the pin and fixator in situ post op
