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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Greyhound with hidden wrist fracture fixed to race again

By Rutherford, Scott & Ness, Malcolm G·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2012·Croft Veterinary Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Dorsal slab fracture of the fourth carpal bone in a racing greyhound.

Species:
dog
Dog limpingMovement & jointsDogs

Plain-English summary

A 3-year-old male racing Greyhound was brought in for a suspected injury after showing signs of pain in his front leg. The fracture in his fourth carpal bone wasn't visible on regular X-rays, but a CT scan revealed the problem. The vet performed surgery to fix the fracture using screws, and after recovery, the dog was able to return to racing, performing just as well as he did before the injury.

People also search for: greyhound leg injury · dog carpal bone fracture treatment · racing dog recovery after surgery

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To report the diagnosis and surgical management of a dorsal slab fracture of the fourth carpal bone in a racing greyhound. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical report. ANIMAL: Three-year-old, male racing Greyhound. METHODS: The fracture was not visible on orthogonal radiographs and the diagnosis was made by computed tomography. Open reduction and internal fixation with 2 countersunk 2.0-mm screws inserted in lag fashion was performed via a dorsal approach. Outcome was analyzed objectively by comparing preinjury and postsurgery racing performances. RESULTS: Internal fixation resulted in fracture healing and the dog returned to racing recording times similar to those before injury. CONCLUSION: Fractures of the fourth carpal bone may not be visible on standard orthogonal radiographic views and cross-sectional imaging may be required for more accurate identification. Surgical management was successful with the dog returning to preinjury levels of competition.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22809278/