External fixation by means of coaptation means using casts, splints, bandages, and slings to immobilize the injured limb. These methods if used properly approximate the shape of the limb on which they are applied and provide stable fixation of bone fragments without the
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External fixation by means of coaptation means using casts, splints, bandages, and slings to immobilize the injured limb. These methods if used properly approximate the shape of the limb on which they are applied and provide stable fixation of bone fragments without the need for surgical implants at the fracture site. External fixation of orthopedic injuries in veterinary medicine has significant advantages over open fixation and internal fixation. In most cases, the soft tissue and vascular damages, the risk of infection, and the cost of its use can be much lower than surgical intervention. Careful case selection is required to achieve successful treatment of fractures with external coaptation. Temporary fixation methods are usually used to prevent edema, relieve pain, reduce subsequent soft tissue damage, protect the wound from further contamination, prevent the conversion of closed fractures to open fractures, and stabilize the fractured particles in acutely injured animals. Various types of External coaptations are available in veterinary practice to provide the best external fixation of injuries. Therefore, it is essential for the practitioners in this field to have sufficient familiarity with different methods and their uses. As a general rule, external coaptation is an acceptable mode of fracture repair for animals that are younger than 1 year of age, because they heal faster. External coaptation best neutralizes flexion forces on distal fractures and requires stabilization of the joint above and below the fractured site. Therefore, coaptation has the disadvantage of prolonged immobilization of the limb, which can cause severe atrophy from "disuse atrophy" and possible "fracture disease".
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