Fractures

Ralph, a 5-month-old Yorkie pup, suffered a fracture of the proximal (top) end of his tibia (shin) bone just below his stifle (knee). This fracture involved the growth plate, the cartilage zone from which bone grows and which appears as a black line on X-rays near the ends of the long bones in growing dogs.

Kwazii presented to us at West Midlands Veterinary 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).

This cat had a fracture-luxation between the metatarsal bones and the tarsal bones (bones of the foot and of the ankle respectively).

Interlocking nails are an innovation in fracture fixation that came from WWII. They were a closely guarded military secret because they got injured German pilots back into the air faster than ours!

Pablo, a cat, presented to us at West Midlands Veterinary Referrals with a tricky femur fracture (thigh bone). The bottom end that forms part of the knee joint was comminuted (multiple fragments).

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

Dressings/casts/splints often seem like a perfect, economical, minimally invasive and straightforward way to immobilise fractures. Still, some issues relating to casts or splints make them less than ideal: We have delved into the issue surrounding their use at West Midlands Veterinary Referrals.

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

A mandibular (jaw) fracture occurred during a fracas with another dog.