Small Animal Radiology and Ultrasound: A Diagnostic Atlas and Text

Chapter Four The Appendicular Skeleton 499
Fig. 4-30 A 2-year-old male mixed breed dog was hit by a car. A,
Postoperative radiographs of the right tibia reveal an oblique fracture
of the distal right tibia and a comminuted fracture of the right fibula
at the junction of the middle and distal thirds. The fracture has been
repaired by means of an intramedullary pin and two cerclage wires.
The intramedullary pin does not extend fully into the distal fragment
(i.e., it is within 0.5 cm of the distal articular surface and only approximately
1 cm into the distal fracture fragment). Alignment and apposition
of the fracture fragments are excellent. There is marked
soft-tissue swelling. B, On radiographs obtained 5 weeks following the
repair, there is no change in position of the orthopedic devices. The
fracture line is no longer visible except for a small linear radiolucency
proximal to the most proximal cerclage wire (black arrow). There is little
periosteal callus with only a small amount on the lateral aspect of
the middle one-third of the tibia. Diagnosis: Healing fracture. The
minimal callus formation and rapid healing are the result of the solid
fixation and fracture stability.
A
B