Greater omentum pedicle flap as adjunctive treatment oftibial osteomyelitis in a dog - case report

Abstract

Osteomyelitis is a therapeutic challenge in orthopedics, capable of delaying or even preventing bone healing. The omentum has been used in different surgical procedures as an alternative for its capacity, among others, of angiogenesis, being applied in veterinary orthopedics, when there is a risk of non-union of bone. In this case, a Brazilian row dog was submitted to grafting with pedicle flap of greater omentum, after resistant osteomyelitis present in open fracture osteosynthesis of open tibia grade II. For 16 days the communication of the flap was maintained, but at the risk of peritonitis, the pedicle was sectioned. In a sequence of surgical interventions, after 89 days, there was bone healing and remission of osteomyelitis, even in the presence of multi-resistant bacteria. In this report, the omentum was effective as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of osteomyelitis and guaranteed the return of limb function.