Advanced Fracture Repair 4: Minimally-Invasive Fracture Repair [November 2026 | Houston Campus]

Course Description

This is an advanced level course designed for participants that have completed a Fracture Principles course (or equivalent) and have some experience with fracture repair.

The concept of biological internal fixation has been predicated for years with the goal of maximizing preservation of the blood supply to the fractured bone. This trend resulted in new implants and new techniques that allowed surgeons to approach fracture fixation with smaller, less invasive approaches. The principal concept is to gain access to the bone via small incisions away from the fracture zone, thus preserving blood supply to the fracture fragments. Minimally invasive surgical approaches reduce pain and minimizes trauma to the soft tissues leading. The small incisions provide a means of inserting a bone plate and placing screws to achieve stabilization and osteosynthesis. Methods of fracture reduction are included using the technique of indirect fracture reduction. Participants will learn different techniques to perform minimally-invasive fracture repair using MIS approaches with and without intraoperative imaging.

The technique of minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) describes the stabilization of a fractured bone with a bone plate and screws which are applied without performing an extensive open surgical approach to directly expose, reduce and stabilize the fracture. When MIPO is performed, the fracture segments are aligned using indirect reduction techniques in a closed fashion. Small plate insertion incisions are made over the anticipated (intended) locations of the proximal and distal ends of the bone plate. A tunnel is developed adjacent to the fractured bone, beneath the overlying soft tissues. The plate is inserted through the tunnel and fixed in place with bone screws inserted through the plate insertion incisions. MIPO techniques can result in superior preservation of blood supply to the fracture site, less disruption of supporting soft tissue structures, and potentially a faster return to function and more rapid bone healing than would be achieved with an open surgical approach to facilitate bone plating.

This course will familiarize participants with minimally-invasive fracture repair of shaft, articular and periarticular fractures of the humerus, radius/ulna, femur and tibia. Following lecture and case review, participants will repair fractures on plastic bone models and cadavers. Postoperative radiographs will be taken to evaluate the participants repair technique.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the principles of minimally-invasive fracture repair.
• Learn MIPO techniques for comminuted shaft fractures of the humerus, radius, femur and tibia.
• Learn MIPO techniques for elbow fractures and periarticular fractures of the tibia.
• Learn MIPO techniques for physeal fractures.

Participants are encouraged to invite a technician/assistant to join them for the course. Develop your surgical team when you train alongside each other to perform new procedures. Technicians/Assistants must be registered for the same product as their respective veterinarian in order to attend the course.

Day 1 - Shaft Fractures

Day 2 - Articular and Periarticular Fractures