An Ex Vivo Comparison of Stainless Steel Cables to a Non-metallic Polymer Cerclage Cable in an Equine Metacarpophalangeal Joint Arthrodesis Model.

The research article investigates the efficiency of stainless steel cables and non-metallic polymer cables in the joint fusion process in horses, with results indicating that steel cables offer more stability.

Introduction and Objective

• The purpose of this study was to assess the differences in tensile and fatigue strength between a stainless steel cable (SSC) and a human non-metallic polymer cable (NMPC). This comparison was applied to a model of a procedure called metacarpophalangeal joint arthrodesis. The procedure often represents a last resort treatment for horses suffering from injuries that affect locomotion.

Methodology

• The study was conducted with the use of ten metacarpophalangeal joints from five Thoroughbred horses euthanatized for reasons unrelated to orthopedic disease.
• Each pair of joints were randomly assigned a 1.7-mm SSC or a NMPC.
• The experimental setup involved cyclic loading testing followed by a single-cycle failure test in axial compression, allowing researchers to compare the endurance and breaking points of both cable types.

Results

• The NMPC showed greater overall movement during cyclic testing compared to the SSC.
• In the single-cycle testing, the SSC constructs withstood higher maximum loads before failure, compared to the NMPC constructs.

Conclusion

• The study results do not advocate for the use of NMPC for the joint fusion process in horses suffering from suspensory breakdown injury.
• The stability provided by the SSC outweighs the potential benefits and ease of application of the NMPC.
• However, it is suggested that further research should be done to compare both cable systems with dorsal plate application on the metacarpophalangeal joint.