Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with broken thigh bone fixed using temporary plate surgery
By Hojung Bae et al.·Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science·2025·ollege of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Case Report: Temporary supratrochanteric plating for the management of subtrochanteric femoral fracture in an immature dog
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-month-old puppy was brought in with a broken thigh bone (subtrochanteric femoral fracture) after an injury. The veterinarian used a special plate to hold the bone in place while it healed, and after some time, they removed the plate once the bone showed signs of healing on X-rays. At a follow-up appointment 21 months later, the puppy was walking normally and had no issues with its leg, although there was a slight bend in the bone. This method of temporary fixation proved to be an effective treatment for this type of fracture in young dogs.
People also search for: puppy broken leg treatment · femoral fracture in dogs · dog leg surgery recovery
Abstract
This case report describes the successful management of a subtrochanteric femoral fracture in a 2-month-old dog using temporary supratrochanteric plate fixation, performed prior to the development of the greater trochanter apophysis. A tibial plateau leveling osteotomy plate was applied to the proximolateral femur and subsequently removed following radiographic evidence of bridging callus formation. At the 21-month follow-up, the dog exhibited normal limb function, symmetrical femoral length, and appropriate development of the greater trochanter. Although a mild procurvatum deformity was noted, no clinical signs or range of motion deficits were observed. These findings support the use of temporary fixation across the trochanteric region as a feasible treatment strategy for immature subtrochanteric femoral fractures when performed prior to apophyseal development.
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 DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1703404