DOI
https://doi.org/10.18849/ve.v11i2.737Abstract
PICO Question
In cats with closed diaphyseal tibial fractures, does internal fixation, when compared to external fixation, result in a lower postoperative complication rate?
Clinical bottom line
Category of research
Treatment.
Number and type of study designs reviewed
There were no publications that directly answered the PICO question.
Strength of evidence
Zero.
Outcomes reported
Both internal and external fixation are published techniques deployed in tibial fracture fixation in cats, however no study has directly compared the postoperative complications in these groups for closed diaphyseal tibial fractures.
Conclusion
Given the lack of evidence to answer the PICO question, the veterinarian should consider their choice of stabilisation technique on the methods available and their personal experience. Both internal and external skeletal fixation (ESF) are published methods of feline tibial fracture fixation. A related study demonstrated that ESF has a high risk of complication for feline tibial fracture repair but given the absence of evidence for exclusively closed fracture types, this conclusion cannot be drawn for the PICO.
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