Forelimb and shoulder fractures

Nancy, a middle aged grey hound was kicked one weekend by a horse in the London area and suffered a broken humerus. The case was seen promptly at the local Vets Now emergency clinic. The owner rang us as they had been estimated £6000 for specialist fixation of the fracture.

Poppy, a much loved cat, went missing in the Derby area for weeks over the summer of 2013. It is a mystery how she survived with severely displaced and comminuted (fragmented) fractures of the humerus of her upper right forelimb and the femur of her upper left hind limb. She was, almost incredibly, managing to walk on her two remaining legs.

Radius and ulna fractures are common in small-breed dogs. These injuries can often affect both forelimbs simultaneously, and these small dogs' fractures have acquired a reputation for being at increased risk of non-union (failure of the bone ends to reunite).  

Dodo, an 8-month-old French Bulldog, suffered a fracture of a forelimb during play. The forelimb bones are the radius and the ulna, and the fracture affected the growth plates of the radius and the ulna, from which these bones grow.

Beau, a gentle middle aged Staffordshire Bull Terrier bitch, was mauled in the park by another dog in an unprovoked attack that left the accompanying owners with bite wounds.

Tilly is 18 years old, and as sweet and gentle a cat as you’ll ever find. She likes nothing more than going out to the end of the drive to see the school kids passing by each morning and evening.

Kwazii presented to us at West Midlands Referrals with a comminuted (shattered), open (soft tissue wounds connecting the fracture to the outside) fracture of the radius and ulna (bones of the forearm).

We see loads of these cases at West Midlands Referrals, especially in Springer Spaniels and also in French Bulldogs, in increasing numbers as this breed is becoming more popular.

This right articular proximal ulna fracture occurred outside of the house in unknown circumstances about a week before the presentation.