Stabilization of Fractures with the Use of Veterinary Interlocking Nails

Interlocking nails (ILN) are effective tools for the fixation of long bone fractures, including humeral, femoral and tibial fractures. An interlocking nails are a steel rods which are placed in medullary canal of fractured bone. They have transverse openings which are use to put inside a transcortical screws. Those screws block the nail relative to the main bone fragments. Interlocking nails counteract all forces at the fractured site, thus they are an alternative to bone plates. Simultaneously, the intramedullary nail is placed in a natural position relative to the bone's biomechanical axis and neutralizing bending forces across bone fragments. Unlike bone plates that are eccentrically positioned, the nail has an intramedullary position which makes it much more resistant to compressive, torsional and bending force. This technique requires a relatively low surgical approach to compare with plate osteosynthesis. Most importantly, interlocking nails support biological osteosynthesis and fracture management with minimal surgical intervention. The first application in veterinary medicine of the interlocking nail was at the late 1980s. Since this moment, the technique still evolves providing the next generations of interlocking nails. At these days we have several generations of it. This paper discusses the use of interlocking nails in fracture stabilization in veterinary practice and overviews the development of nail implants and their applications. The advantages of the analyzed technique and the associated complications are discussed.