| dc.description.abstract | Fractures of the mandible are common in cats. The goal of treatment for mandibular fractures is normal function of the jaw, with perfect dental occlusion. At the Medisch Centrum voor Dieren (MCD) in Amsterdam the orthopedic surgeons have been looking for a practical way to stabilize different types of mandibular fractures. They have used an interarcuate wiring technique, the nylon loop method, to stabilize mandibular fractures and temporomandibular junction (TMJ) luxations. A retrospective study on 19 cats treated at the MCD, in the period between 2001 and 2012, was performed. The patients in this study had at least one mandibular fracture, and were all treated with the nylon loop method. In 10 of the patients an additional fixation method was used. The nylon loop method, a technique which stabilizes the fracture in occlusion was evaluated in this study, as well as the fractures types treated with this method. The consequence of fixation in occlusion was the necessity to place an esophageal feeding tube. In 3 patients minor complications occurred, like weight loss and vomiting without serious consequences. In 18 out of the 19 cases the fixation using the nylon loops led to healing of the fractures with fair to good occlusion, in one of the cats the stabilization failed and another fixation technique had to be used. Nylon loop fixation was a successful method in stabilizing mandibular fractures in cats. | |
