Treatment by the use of an Ilizarov external fixator of incongruity in the elbow joint due to premature closure of the distal radial growth plate in a German Shepherd

Abstract

In a 9-month-old male German Shepherd, degenerative arthritis and incongruity of the elbow joint were observed due to premature closure of the distal radial growth plate. An obvious shortening was present in the radius and ulna, when compared to the contralateral leg. Corticotomy was carried out on the radius and an Ilizarov apparatus was applied to the leg by passing Kirschner wires through the proximal and distal fragments of the radius. The radius was lengthened 1 mm daily starting from postoperative day 4. Consequently, the incongruity of the elbow joint was corrected and functional recovery was observed to a great extent in the postoperative period.