Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Puppy labrador forelimb deformity fixed with bone lengthening surgery
By Langley-Hobbs, S J et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·1996·Queen Mother Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Management of antebrachial deformity and shortening secondary to a synostosis in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A nine-week-old Labrador was brought in for a deformed left front leg that was causing noticeable limping. X-rays showed that the dog had a fracture in the bones of the forelimb that healed incorrectly, leading to a condition called synostosis (where two bones fuse together). The vet performed surgery to correct the bones and used a special device to lengthen the leg. After treatment, the dog showed improvement, with only a small difference in length between the two legs at 17 months old.
People also search for: puppy limping left leg · Labrador forelimb deformity treatment · dog leg lengthening surgery
Abstract
A nine-week-old labrador was presented with a deformed left forelimb causing obvious lameness. Radiographs suggested that the dog had suffered a fracture involving the radius and ulna which had healed resulting in a synostosis. There was a concurrent radial physeal injury. The dog was treated initially by osteotomy of the radius and ulna stabilised using a static external skeletal fixator. At a subsequent surgery lengthening of the limb was achieved by using an Ilizarov apparatus. Worsening carpal hyperflexion was managed by bandaging in forced extension. A successful outcome was achieved with a final result of a 24 per cent discrepancy in length between the two radii at 17 months of age. An increase in length of the ipsilateral humerus was seen in association with the shortened forelimb.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8872934/