The influence of a tension band fixation as an adjunct for arthrodesis of the metacarpophalangeal joint in the horse.
Abstract: To determine the influence of a stainless-steel cable (SSC) tension band fixation as an adjunct to a locking compression plate (LCP) for arthrodesis of the equine metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint. Methods: Experimental. An ex vivo biomechanical paired equine cadaver limb study. Methods: Five MCP joint pairs were collected from adult Thoroughbred horses, euthanized for reasons unrelated to orthopedic disease. Methods: Each pair of MCP joints were randomly implanted with either a dorsally placed 5.5 mm LCP and a palmarly placed 2.0 mm SSC or a dorsally placed 5.5 mm LCP alone. Each construct was tested in cyclic loading followed by single cycle to failure in axial compression. Displacement at a target load of 1 kN over 3600 cycles at 1 Hz was recorded prior to single cycle to failure testing. Results: In cyclic testing, displacement was not significantly different between the first and last 5% of testing cycles regardless of construct. Maximum displacement of each construct during cyclic testing was <1.1 mm. In single cycle testing, the observed yield point did not reveal any difference between LCP and LCP-SSC (p = .440). The maximum load at failure was significantly higher in LCP-SSC compared to constructs with the LCP alone (p = .046). Conclusions: The addition of the SSC to the LCP did not statistically affect construct displacement during cyclic loading or construct yield load during subsequent single cycle to failure. Conclusions: This study provided much needed information regarding the necessity of a tension band SSC application in the arthrodesis of the MCP/MTP joint in horses.
© 2023 American College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Publication Date: 2023-09-26 PubMed ID: 37752808DOI: 10.1111/vsu.14036Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research investigates whether adding a stainless-steel cable to a locking compression plate improves the outcomes of a surgery to fuse the metacarpophalangeal joint in horses. The study found that while the addition of the cable didn’t significantly impact most metrics, it did cause a significantly higher maximum load at failure compared to using the plate alone.
Method
- The research used an ex vivo study, which means it was conducted outside of a living organism, specifically using the limbs of euthanized Thoroughbred horses. These horses had been euthanized for reasons not related to orthopaedic conditions.
- The metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints of five pairs of limbs from these horses were randomly implanted with either a 5.5 mm locking compression plate (LCP) and a 2.0 mm stainless-steel cable (SSC) or a 5.5 mm LCP alone.
- The researchers then tested each construct in cyclic loading (repeated loading and unloading cycles) followed by a single cycle to failure test in axial compression (pressure applied along the lengthwise axis of the construct). They recorded any displacement at a target load of 1kN over 3,600 cycles prior to the failure test.
Results
- In cyclic testing, there was no significant difference in displacement observed between the first and last 5% of testing cycles for either the constructs with the LCP and SSC or those with the LCP alone. In all cases, maximum displacement was less than 1.1 mm.
- There was also no significant difference between the constructs’ yield points in the single cycle testing – the yield point is the point at which a material begins to deform plastically and won’t return to its original shape when the stress is removed.
- The maximum load at the point of failure was significantly higher in the constructs with both the LCP and SSC than those with the LCP alone.
Conclusion
- The addition of the stainless-steel cable to the locking compression plate did not statistically affect displacement during repeated loading, or the yield load during a single load to failure.
- However, the use of both a LCP and SSC created a construct that could withstand a significantly higher maximum load at the point of failure than a construct with the LCP alone.
- This finding will be beneficial in providing necessary data regarding the potential benefits of employing a tension band SSC in the arthrodesis of the MCP/MTP joint in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Kadic LIM, Rademacher N, Liu CC, Leise BS, McCauley CT, Riggs LM.
(2023).
The influence of a tension band fixation as an adjunct for arthrodesis of the metacarpophalangeal joint in the horse.
Vet Surg.
https://doi.org/10.1111/vsu.14036 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
Grant Funding
- LSU-SVM PG008194 / Charles V. Cusimano Equine Health Studies Program Grant
- LSU-SVM PG009131 / Veterinary Clinical Sciences Competitive Research Program Grant
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