Description of and complications associated with reinforced, free-form external skeletal fixation for treatment of appendicular fractures in cats: 46 cases (2010-2019).

Objective: To describe a modified technique for reinforced, free-form external skeletal fixation (rFF-ESF) of appendicular fractures in cats and identify factors associated with development of complications.

Animals: 46 cats with fractures repaired with rFF-ESF at Angell Animal Medical Center between 2010 and 2019.

Procedures: Medical records were reviewed for information on signalment, affected bone, fracture location and orientation, degree of comminution, severity (open vs closed), fixator type, number of fixation pins, use of an intramedullary pin (yes vs no), surgeon experience (staff surgeon vs surgical resident), anesthesia time, surgery time, perioperative antimicrobial administration, concurrent surgical procedures, intraoperative complications, postoperative alignment, whether fixator destabilization was performed, and time to complete fixator removal.