2010 Volume 63 Issue 6 Pages 435-438
A Holstein dairy cow (female, age 5 months) presented with an open right metatarsal fracture. The cow had a spiral fracture and displacement with a longitudinal contraction. Skin injury and pus discharge were also observed on the medial and lateral sides. DCP and lag screw fixations were conducted under general inhalation anesthesia. A sheet of gelatin hydrogel (GH) impregnated with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and a sheet of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) loaded with vancomycin were applied to the site of the fracture. The wounds were healed by 107 days post surgery, when a radiography revealed that a callus had formed at the site of the fracture. The sustained release of bFGF from GH effectively promoted bone regeneration,and the vancomycin-loaded PLGA sheet prevented complications associated with serious osteomyelitis. We believe that the bFGF-impregnated GH sheet and the vancomycin-loaded PLGA sheet can be applied for the future treatment of severe fractures in cattle.
