• PURPOSE
    • To evaluate changes in blood circulation of the femoral cortex in rabbits using scintigraphy before and after cable cerclage alone or combined with an intramedullary Kirschner wire.
  • METHOD
    • Ten New Zealand rabbits were used. For the right femur, a 2-mm-thick cable was placed around the mid-diaphyseal region and squeezed with a 400-N force and locked with a clip. For the left femur, a 1.8-mm Kirschner wire was inserted retrogradely into the medullary canal, and a 2-mm-thick cable was applied using the same technique. The blood perfusion ratio of the region of interest (ROI) before and after surgery was evaluated using scintigraphy.
  • RESULTS
    • For the right femurs, the mean ROI perfusion ratio decreased by 45% from 2.51 to 1.37 after intervention (p=0.001). For the left femurs, the mean ROI perfusion ratio decreased by 56% from 2.12 to 0.92 after intervention (p<0.001). The mean ROI perfusion ratio post-intervention was higher in the right than left femurs (p=0.017).
  • CONCLUSION
    • Cable cerclage around the femoral cortex significantly decreased blood circulation in the area.