Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with short metatarsal bones treated by bone lengthening surgery
By Hancock, Robert B et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2003·University of Missouri, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Distraction osteogenesis for treatment of premature physeal closure and shortening of the third and fourth metatarsals of a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 4-month-old Siberian husky was brought in because it was limping on its left hind leg. The vet found that two bones in the dog's foot were shorter than they should be, causing the toes to stretch out. To fix this, the vet used a special device to gradually lengthen the bones over 15 days. The treatment worked well, and after surgery, the dog was able to walk normally again, with no issues reported even six and twelve months later.
People also search for: puppy limping treatment · Siberian husky metatarsal shortening · dog surgery recovery time
Abstract
A 4-month-old Siberian husky was presented for a history of lameness of the left hind limb. Physical and radiographic examination revealed a 1-cm shortening of metatarsals III and IV, with subsequent hyperextension of the digits on the left hind paw. A circular external skeletal fixator was used to accomplish distraction osteogenesis in both metatarsals over a period of 15 days. Treatment was successful in restoring appropriate length of the metatarsals and in resolution of the lameness. At 6 and 12 months after surgery, the owner reported that the dog was ambulating normally and had no complications related to the surgery.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12549622/