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Can an old break be repaired or is amputation the only option?

LloydFerris

LloydFerris

Warren Scout
I have posted before about this 'broken leg rescue bunny' regarding tripod advice, but now am wondering now if amputation IS the only option?
Can an old break be repaired? If so, is that only an option with clean breaks?
I would ask the vet, but only 2 people in the rescue organization are 'okayed' to discuss details about treatment and options, and neither of them is me:(.
What do you all think? Does anyone have any experience with this kind of situation?
 
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The pinning back together I think relies on new bone being formed t brdge the gap from live bone (so to speak) and thus a fresh break.

We were only offerred pinning for a fresh break.

however I am NOT a vet!!
 
I doubt it very much. :?

The only option I can see would be to re-break the bone and then re-set it but it is likely to have calcified and knitted incorrectly leaving this a non-viable option - especially considering the fragility of rabbit leg bones. But then i'm not a vet either.
 
As others have said an old break can't be repaired. However i would say that amputation is not the only option. Depending on how it has healed itself and the level of mobility the rabbit has on that leg it may be fine to leave things alone. Although they may need long term low level pain relief for things like arthritis.

We have had a couple of buns in the past who have managed fairly well on legs that have healed badly because the breaks were not fixed at the time
 
This is her femur, and it is broken near the middle but at a sharp angle. The broken ends have overlapped and there appears to be some shards floating around the area.
 
LloydFerris said:
This is her femur, and it is broken near the middle but at a sharp angle. The broken ends have overlapped and there appears to be some shards floating around the area.
Click to expand...

I think this would lead to quite sufficient arthritic changes and osteophyte formation :? It may be that amputation would be a lot less disabling in the long-term. I hope it all works out for this bunny. :)
 
LloydFerris said:
This is her femur, and it is broken near the middle but at a sharp angle. The broken ends have overlapped and there appears to be some shards floating around the area.
Click to expand...

Sounds awful. I am assuming she has had x-rays.

I am sure the vet will know the best course of action for her.

The reason we have left some of our deformed legs is because by the time they have reached us they have compensated for so long that their spines have become twisted and the leg is still weight baring. There was a high risk with amputation that the rabbit would loose balance completely and therefore loose all mobility :( But as I said a vet should easily be able to know if that is a possibility with your bunny.
 
LloydFerris said:
This is her femur, and it is broken near the middle but at a sharp angle. The broken ends have overlapped and there appears to be some shards floating around the area.
Click to expand...

Have the broken ends joined together with bone or are they moving around? Is it a forelimb or a hind limb?

How heavy is the bun?

I'm a bit worried about the shards too. Those will be dead bone - a sitting duck for infection, but they're not infected yet & may never become so!.
 
Old breaks can be repaired if there is a need to do so, ie improve quality of life and weightbearing. A mid shaft femoral break is certainly a possibility for repair but it would depend on the xray as to the final decision. I would certainly consider repair over amputation.
 
I had a bunny who came to me with an old break in a front leg. The leg was angled and he used it more like a flipper. Harry didn't seem to be in any pain and he got around on it, so we didn't amputate. So, I guess it would depend on your bunny's mobility and pain levels.
 
Depends very much on how the bone ends are positioned, how long the fracture has been present for and the condition of the surrounding tissues.
Old fractures with closely positioned bone ends that still have not healed are unlikely to recover, but if other factors have interfered with healing (such as bone ends being moved far apart or constantly being moved) then recovery probability is good if the ends are correctly aligned.
 
Both vets she saw recommended amputation. She had very, very little ability to get around.
Her surgery was today and she got through it fine, but went to the Bridge shortly afterwards.
It's so unfair. This cruel world gave her nothing but pain and suffering and at her first chance for a pain-free life full of love, she dies. This is affecting me like she was one of my own. I knew that after nursing her back to health I would never let her go, but she didn't make it.
 
I'm so terribly sorry Lloyd Ferris.
I know your commitment to bunnies over the months you've been on the forum. I know that you have done everything possible in her best interests.
Only the vets you consulted could see the extent of the problem on the XR's & assess the soft tissues. I have confidence that they advised you correctly.

I'm so sorry it didn't work out for her.
 
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