Proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodesis in the horse
Authors: Heim C, Sommer K S, Fürst A
Journal: Pferdeheilkunde Equine Medicine
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Proximal Interphalangeal Joint Arthrodesis Stabilisation Heim and colleagues undertook an in vitro biomechanical comparison of two compression plate systems—the locking compression plate (LCP) and limited-contact dynamic compression plate (LC-DCP)—combined with open or closed surgical techniques for equine proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodesis. Ten forelimb pairs underwent cyclic fatigue testing at 20,000 cycles followed by single-cycle loading to failure under dorsopalmar bending, allowing direct assessment of construct stiffness and ultimate load-bearing capacity across all four treatment combinations. Neither surgical approach nor plate selection produced significant differences in stiffness during cyclical loading or in force and stiffness measurements at failure, indicating that clinicians can confidently select either implant system or technique based on individual case considerations rather than biomechanical superiority. Whilst this finding simplifies surgical decision-making and validates multiple approaches as structurally sound, the authors acknowledge that understanding the subtle mechanical interaction between implant design and surgical technique warrants further investigation to optimise patient outcomes. For practitioners planning pastern arthrodeses, these results provide reassurance that both traditional and locking plates, whether applied via minimally invasive or open exposure, deliver comparable mechanical stability in the immediate perioperative period.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Both open and closed techniques for PIP arthrodesis perform equally well mechanically, so surgical choice can be based on surgeon preference and case-specific factors
- •LC-DCP and LCP plates show equivalent mechanical performance, allowing clinicians to select based on availability, cost, or surgeon familiarity
- •These findings support the clinical use of either implant combination, but longer-term clinical studies are needed to validate biomechanical findings in live horses
Key Findings
- •No significant difference in stiffness during cyclic fatigue testing (20,000 cycles) between open and closed surgical techniques for PIP arthrodesis
- •No significant difference in force or stiffness at failure between 4.5mm LC-DCP and LCP plate types
- •Both LC-DCP and LCP implants with either surgical technique are mechanically suitable for clinical use in PIP arthrodesis