Orthopaedics

Fusion of the tarsal joints is often indicated when there is irrevocable traumatic damage to the joint(s) often involving ligament damage. Some breeds like Shelties are especially prone to spontaneous collapse of the tarsal (and carpal) joints under normal loading.

An 8-month-old Shi Tzu pup presented with right forelimb lameness and elbow incongruity with short ulna syndrome. This occurs because the ulna stops growing earlier than the radius, so that the ulna acts like the taught straight string of a bow and arrow, while the radius keeps growing and becomes the curved “bow”.