Basic Fracture Repair - Femoral Shaft Fractures Online Course

You know the story … we all see plenty of femoral shaft fractures, but this time it is one of your favorite patients and long-standing clients. Usually, you refer such cases to an ACVS specialist for repair … unfortunately, this time there are barriers to that referral. Your heart sinks as you consider limb amputation when you KNOW you could learn to repair fractures like this. Now may be your chance to be a hero for your client. This course may be just the boost you need in your fracture repair abilities. This online course is also the perfect opportunity to whet your appetite for some hands-on learning!

In this course, you’ll enjoy more than 3 hours of online instruction including TONS of video demonstrations that you can study on your own time … when they best fit into YOUR schedule.  You’ll enjoy learning important principles about IM pin & cerclage wire fixation of long oblique femoral fractures as you watch the technique being performed!  You’ll also learn how to perform bone plate and even bone plate + IM pin fixation for some of those more challenging femur fractures!

You might be thinking to yourself … me performing bone plating?  How can I learn bone plating when I don’t even know how to operate a power drill?!?  Not to worry … our friendly, “no attitude” instruction picks you up right where you are!  We’ll step back and show you the features of a power drill before demonstrating how to use that drill to properly drill a pilot hole in preparation for screw insertion. We’ll walk you through all of the basics as well as the important preoperative decision-making process.  We’ll explain how to select the proper implant size and show some of the tricks to simplify plate contouring and more.

Bottom line: if you’re already doing some fracture repairs, you’ll be sure to find helpful pointers that you may never have thought of. If you’re wondering whether or not fracture repair is a skill that you’d like to develop, this course is the first step down that pathway!

Intended Audience: Primary care veterinarians and veterinary technicians

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this online course, you will be able to:

1. Describe the 2 conditions required for bone healing
2. List the 2 basic classifications of diaphyseal fractures and explain how they affect treatment strategy
3. Explain when IM pin wire and cerclage fixation is appropriate for femoral diaphyseal fractures and describe proper surgical techniques (you’ll also learned when it is a very bad idea).
4. Explain when bone plate fixation is best combined when cerclage wire and when it is best combined with an IM pin and describe proper surgical techniques (including surgical approach)
5. Say, “Suddenly I am excited to take a hands-on training course … I truly believe that I can learn to do this!”