Note: The following images may be unpleasant for some readers.
A dog’s forearm is made up of 2 bones – the radius and the ulna – spanning the distance from the elbow to the carpal or wrist joint.
5-year-old Miss B the mongrel was hit by a car. The impact fractured her ulna.
Red coloured areas highlight the radius & ulna bones that make up a dog’s forearm. Ref: petemergency.com.au
Fractures are usually caused by trauma, such as being hit by a car or falling from a height. Splints, casts, pins, steel plates and screws can be used to realign the bone. Treatment will depend on the type of fracture and the age of the dog.
For a small young dog, a fracture can be treated with a cast. For a bigger dog like Miss B, plates & screws are needed to secure the fractured bone.
Surgical correction of a radius or ulna fracture is a specialised surgery performed by Dr Dennis Choi of Mount Pleasant Veterinary Centre (Gelenggang).
The broken bones are exposed to allow for visual reduction (alignment) & placement of the plate.
After the plate is aligned, a hole is drilled in the bone where a screw will be placed.
The process of drilling, measuring & placing the screws is repeated until the bone is securely held in place.
Internal implants like these plate & screws will remain in the leg; they do not need to be removed.
After surgery, it is important to limit activity (no running or jumping) so that the bones stay aligned and heal properly. X-rays will be recommended at various time intervals to monitor Miss B’s progress and make sure it is safe to increase her activity level.
We wish Miss B speedy recovery. Her guardian say she can’t wait to resume her favourite pastimes – going to the beach, swimming and chasing squirrels!
