Objective: Retrospective evaluation of the records of 32 small ruminant patients that were treated for limb fractures between 2001 and 2014.
Materials and methods: Records were analyzed regarding species, breed, and age of the animals, age, localization, and type of the fracture, the applied treatment method (conservative: using polyvinyl-chloride splints or casts; surgical: internal fixation techniques or limb amputation), and the final outcome.
Results: The 16 goats and 16 sheep (18 male, 14 female) had a mean age of 1.5 years and a mean body weight of 37.8 kg. The age of the fracture ranged between one and 6 days in 23 animals (71.8 %), from 12 to 60 days in five animals (15.6 %), and was unknown in four patients (12.5 %). Of the 35 fractures (multiple fractures in three animals), 20 (57.1 %) were located at the rear limb and 15 (42.9 %) at the forelimb. Most frequently fractures involved the femur (28.6 %), followed by the radius and ulna (22.8 %), the metatarsus (20.0 %), and the metacarpus (14.3 %). Fractures were treated conservatively in 17 animals (63.0 %), whereas an internal fixation was performed in 10 animals, including in one sheep, which had been unsuccessfully treated by external coaptation first (n = 11, 40.7 %). Five animals were not treated because of concurrent additional disorders and a poor prognosis. The success rate was 94.1 % for conservative and 81.9 % for surgical treatment. In six animals (22.2 %), complications occurred during or after fracture treatment. Four of these cases had a good final outcome, whereas two animals had to be euthanized. The age and the body weight of the animals and the age of the fracture were not statistically correlated with the success of treatment.
Conclusion and clinical relevance: Because of an overall treatment success rate of 92.6 %, it is strongly recommended that also in the practice, particularly conservative treatment of limb fractures in sheep and goats should be performed. In particular, metacarpal, metatarsal, and phalangeal fractures, which can frequently be diagnosed by careful and thorough palpation, have proved to be very suitable for conservative treatment. In contrast, internal fixation is the method of choice for proximal limb fractures.
Keywords: Sheep; conservative fracture treatment; fracture; goat; osteosynthesis.