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Case File #4655X (Marley Hope For Animals)
Marley, a year and half old mixed breed dog, presented for a lameness involving his left front leg. Our examination revealed a severe deformity of the left radius and ulna bones which was putting abnormal stress on his elbow and wrist joints. The severity of the deformity would continue to cause Marley pain throughout his life unless the leg was surgically straightened. We proposed surgically cutting the radius and ulna bones to allow for proper alignment and placement of an external fixator device that holds the bones in place while healing ensues.
Marley was operated on March 15, 2010. Small cuts were made in the radius and ulna bones so that they could be straightened. Then, surgical pins were strategically placed to hold the bones securely and bone graft material was placed along the surgical site to encourage healing. Marley’s elbow was also poorly conformed. So, a surgical cut was made in the upper part of the ulna bone to allow for a better fit of the elbow joint. Marley tolerated the surgery well and was discharged with pain medications. The owners were given instructions to keep him restricted from activity while the bones continued to heal. Six weeks from the original surgery, several of the pins were removed to allow the bones to receive more stress from weight bearing. At three months from surgery, x-rays showed proper healing of the cut portions of bone and the fixator (pins) were removed. The leg healed very straight and Marley was allowed to gradually resume his normal activity!
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