Ten adult domestic pigeons (Columbalivia) were used in order to study closed reduction and type-I external skeletal fixation for tibiotarsus fractures. Anesthesia was induced with xylazine and ketamine hydrochloride and the right tibiotarsus was manually fractured by digital pressure applied at the mid-diaphysis. Kirschner wires were driven percutaneously through the bone, two proximal and two distal to the fracture site, and stabilized by an acrylic bar in the lateral surface of the tibiotarsus after closed reduction of the fracture. Abnormalities in bone angulation were observed radiographically in three birds, however, the function of the limb was not noticeably impaired. The mean ± standard deviation for fracture healing was 23.4± 3.0 days. The results showed that closed reduction and application of a type-I external skeletal fixation is an effective method of treating tibiotarsus fracture in domestic.
Bird; orthopaedics; osteosynthesis
