As in people, fractures (broken bones) are relatively common in cats and dogs. Whilst some fractures can be managed using fibreglass casts, surgery is often the best choice of treatment to provide an optimal outcome and allow pets to regain a normal quality of life.

The basic principles of fracture surgery were established many decades ago. These include:

• Accurate re-alignment of the bone fragments
• Rigid fixation to prevent movement at the fracture site
• Avoidance of soft tissue injury to maintain the blood supply to the bone
• Early return to normal use of the affected limb, to minimise joint stiffness and muscle wastage

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to achieve one aim without compromising another. For instance, if an operation is performed to re-align the broken bone, this often results in some degree of damage to the surrounding soft tissues. In the past, complications such as failure of the bone to heal and infection were often seen because of the degree of soft tissue damage. In some cases these complications led to pets needing further surgery or even limb amputation.

Techniques have recently been developed to re-align and stabilise broken bones whilst minimising damage to soft tissues, including blood vessels and the tissues attached to the bone fragments. This is known as minimally invasive fracture surgery.