Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bone regrowth surgery for broken leg in yellow-naped Amazon parrot
By Johnston, Matthew S et al.·Published in Journal of avian medicine and surgery·2008·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Bone transport osteogenesis for reconstruction of a bone defect in the tibiotarsus of a yellow-naped Amazon parrot (Amazona ochrocephala auropalliata).
- Species:
- bird
Plain-English summary
A yellow-naped Amazon parrot was brought in after suffering a traumatic fracture in its left leg that had not healed properly over five months. Initially, the fracture was treated with a pin and bandage, but complications arose, leading to weakened bone and poor blood supply. After several unsuccessful attempts to fix the issue, the parrot underwent a new procedure called bone transport osteogenesis, which helped regrow the bone. Within seven weeks, the leg had grown to full length, and after a couple more surgeries to promote healing, the parrot's leg became functional again. This case shows promise for using this technique in birds with similar injuries.
People also search for: parrot leg fracture treatment · bone transport osteogenesis in birds · yellow-naped Amazon parrot surgery recovery
Abstract
A yellow-naped Amazon parrot (Amazona ochrocephala auropalliata) was presented 5 months after a traumatic fracture of its left tibiotarsus. Fixation of the simple, closed, mid-diaphyseal fracture was originally with an intramedullary pin and external coaptation with a modified Robert-Jones bandage. During the subsequent 5 months, the bone became osteopenic, and the middle third of the tibiotarsus exhibited probable avascular necrosis. After various fixation attempts failed, the parrot was fitted with a ring fixator device, and bone transport osteogenesis was attempted. Within 7 weeks, the left tibiotarsus had regrown to full length, but the docking site at the proximal fracture line had not healed. After 2 more surgeries to debride bone ends to stimulate healing, the leg in this parrot became functional. This is the first reported clinical use of bone transport osteogenesis in a pet bird. Materials and techniques were applied successfully to this parrot, which suggests that bone transport osteogenesis deserves further study for the repair of large bone defects in birds.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18543602/