Reported complication rates for humeral condylar fractures (HCFs) are as high as 33%. Clinical use of cannulated screws for HCF repair has not been previously reported. The objectives of this study were to describe technique and clinical outcomes of HCFs repaired with cannulated screws. Medical records of dogs with unilateral, non-comminuted, articular HCFs repaired with cannulated screws +/- antirotational pin fixation were retrospectively reviewed. Surgical approaches evaluated included open (approach including arthrotomy), limited (approach to supracondylar without arthrotomy), or minimally invasive (approach to the epicondyle only). Pre and postoperative radiographs were measured for percent fracture gap, percent articular step defect (%ASD) and radiographic healing. Fifty-one cases were included, with French Bulldogs overrepresented (33%). In dogs with available follow-up, complication rate was 30% (12/40). Complications included seroma formation (n=5), pin (n=2) or screw migration (n=1), infection (n=2) and incisional dehiscence (n=1). Of 12 dogs with complications, 50% required pin (n=5) and screw (n=1) removal after fracture union; none required major revision surgery. Surgical approach did influence complication development (P=0.816, Chi-square test), or affect postoperative fracture alignment as measured with %Gap and %ASD (P>0.05). Dogs with fully threaded compared to partially threaded screws were less likely to develop complications (P=0.007). All 30 dogs with a minimum of one month owner follow-up had no (27/30) or only occasional lameness (3/30). Achieving radiographic healing was only affected by increased postoperative %ASD (P=0.014). This study demonstrates cannulated screws can be implanted with varying surgical approaches to successfully repair HCFs with comparable clinical outcome.
