Advanced locking plate system (ALPS) for the management of radius and ulna fracture in dogs Clinical and radiographic study

Abstract

The study was conducted on six dogs presented to the Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex and University Veterinary Hospital, Mannuthy, and University Veterinary Hospital, Kokkalai, with fractures of the radius and ulna. Preoperatively, fractures were diagnosed based on orthopaedic and radiographic examinations. Fracture stabilisation with open reduction and internal fixation was performed in all the six dogs following standard AO principles, using 2.7 mm and 3.5 mm Advanced Locking Plate System (ALPS) plates with locking screws. Radiographic evaluation revealed periosteal callus formation from the second postoperative week onwards, which progressed to endosteal response and cortical bridging by the sixth to eighth postoperative weeks. Obliteration of the fracture line and radiographic union were evident by the eighth postoperative week in five cases with stable fixation. One case showed implant failure due to plate breakage at the sixth postoperative week, resulting in instability and delayed healing. The ALPS construct provided rigid stabilisation, maintained anatomical alignment, and promoted fracture healing, facilitating early functional limb use in dogs with fractures of the radius and ulna.