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Miniplate reconstruction of severely comminuted maxillary fractures in two dogs
1Department of Clinical Sciences, Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, N. Grafton, MA 01536, USA. randy.boudrieau@tufts.edu
Objective:
To describe the treatment of severely comminuted maxillary fractures that resulted in separation of the maxilla from the base of the skull in 2 dogs. The structural areas of support, identified by thicker areas of bones of the skull, were used as a guide to apply buttress plate fixation, with miniplates using these apparent structural buttresses.
Study Design:
Case report.
Sample Population:
A 1-year-old Borzoi and a 5-year-old German shepherd dog.
Results:
Fractures were repaired in a single procedure that resulted in excellent postoperative occlusion, immediate function, and cosmetic result. Healing was uneventful. Full function and excellent cosmetic appearance were still evident at 5 years, and the miniplates have not been removed.
Conclusions:
Long-term outcome appeared to justify surgical reconstruction of these severely comminuted fractures with miniplate methods similar to those used in human maxillofacial surgery. Miniplates were easily contoured 3-dimensionally and placed along apparent lines of buttress support. Miniplate fixation provided a simple method to secure the bone fragments with excellent stability while maintaining both bony and soft tissue stability.
Clinical Relevance:
Severely comminuted maxillary fractures in the dog may be repaired with miniplate fixation, using fixation principles identical to those used for similarly complex fractures in human maxillofacial surgery.
