Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Repair of shoulder bone dislocation and leg fracture in a bald eagle
By Guzman, David Sanchez-Migallon et al.·Published in Journal of avian medicine and surgery·2007·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Repair of a coracoid luxation and a tibiotarsal fracture in a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).
- Species:
- bird
Plain-English summary
A bald eagle weighing about 4.5 kg was brought in because it couldn't fly. The vet found a dislocated shoulder joint and performed surgery to fix it using special plates and wires. Unfortunately, while preparing to release the eagle, it broke its leg, which was also surgically repaired. After 105 days of recovery, the eagle was successfully released back into the wild.
People also search for: bald eagle unable to fly · eagle shoulder injury treatment · eagle leg fracture recovery
Abstract
A 4.5-kg, adult bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was presented after being found unable to fly. Crepitus was palpated in the left shoulder; however, the wing position was normal. Radiographs revealed caudoventral luxation of the left coracoid, affecting its distal articulation with the clavicle and its proximal articulation with the sternum. The luxation affecting the coracoid-sternum articulation was repaired by using a 4-hole, 1.5-mm T-plate and a 6-hole, 2.0-mm dynamic compression plate (DCP) placed side by side. The luxation affecting the coracoid and the clavicle was repaired by 2 cerclage wires in a simple interrupted pattern. Before a scheduled release, the bird sustained a closed, complete mid diaphyseal transverse fracture of the right tibiotarsus, which most likely occurred during recapture from the flight cage. The fracture was surgically repaired with 2 circumferential cerclage wires, an intramedullary Kirschner wire and one 10-hole, 2.7-mm DCP. The bird was successfully released, 105 days after the first surgery, near the location where it was found.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18087935/