Antebrachiometacarpal arthrodesis in five dogs

Abstract

Case reports Five dogs (4 with severe carpal contracture, 1 with a chronically infected carpal joint) underwent antebrachiometacarpal arthrodesis. Excision of all carpal bones, except the accessory carpal bone, was done, either because of persistent infection or to allow the manus to be arthrodesed in a functional position. All five dogs developed varying degrees of soft tissue swelling of the surgical site following surgery. All five arthrodeses achieved complete osseous union within 4–67 weeks. The immediate postoperative distal radiometacarpal frontal plane angulation ranged from 1° to 19° (mean ± SD: 7 ± 8°). The immediate postoperative distal radiometacarpal sagittal plane angulation ranged from 6° to 26° (mean ± SD: 17 ± 9°). Plate coverage of the secured metacarpal bone(s) ranged from 75% to 87% (mean ± SD: 80 ± 4%). Infection necessitated plate removal in four dogs, 3–17 (mean ± SD: 8 ± 6) months following surgery and 0–15 (mean ± SD: 5 ± 7) weeks following radiographic documentation of complete osseous union. Conclusion Despite one dog having marked elbow incongruency and degenerative joint disease and one dog having an ipsilateral radial nerve deficit, all five dogs improved and had acceptable limb function at the time of the final evaluation, which ranged from 25 to 296 (mean ± SD: 99 ± 111) weeks following surgery.

In this issue – April 2019: Reasons for euthanasia of captive Tasmanian devils · Reptarenaviruses in Australian snakes · Antimicrobial dosing for equine drugs · Tarsal slab fractures in young Thoroughbreds · Complications following oesophageal foreign body removal in dogs · Antebrachiometacarpal arthrodesis in dogs

“…This report of five dogs describes antebrachiometacarpal arthrodesis in which all except the accessory carpal bone are removed and a cranial plate added to promote bone fusion. In this report, all dogs improved and eventually had acceptable limb function …”