COMPARISON OF BONE HEALING USING POLYDIOXANONE AND STAINLESS-STEEL INTRAMEDULLARY PINS IN TRANSVERSE, MIDHUMERAL OSTEOTOMIES IN PIGEONS (COLUMBA-LIVIA)

Bilateral transverse midhumeral osteotomies were performed in 12 pigeo ns. The osteotomies were stabilized with three polydioxanone (PDS) int ramedullary (IM) pins or three stainless steel (SS) IM pins. Radiograp hs were made immediately postsurgery and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 wk postsu rgery. Three birds were randomly selected and euthanized at 3, 6, 12, and 24 wk postsurgery for gross and histologic evaluation of bone heal ing. Radiographically the osteotomies stabilized with the PDS IM pins had larger callus diameters than those stabilized with SS at 3 and 6 w k postsurgery; however, the callus diameters of PDS-stabilized humeri were smaller than those of the SS-stabilized humeri at 12 and 24 wk. T he differences in corrected callus diameters were significant (P < 0.0 5) only at 3 wk, the PDS-stabilized humeri having larger calluses. Gro ss and histologic evaluation of the repaired humeri showed no differen ces in bone healing between PDS- and SS-stabilized humeri.