Epiphyseal Fractured Dog Leg

Dogs are as prone to leg fractures as we humans are – perhaps even a bit more because they are prone to getting hit by cars and getting into accidents that humans would consciously avoid. The basic mechanism of a bone fracture lies in the bone getting broken. There are many kinds of fractures that range from small nicks to the bone to splintering and shattering of a bone. In itself, a fracture will cause death but if recovery is not properly managed or treatment not sought in time, these conditions can be fatal. Just like humans, the method of treating leg fractures in dogs is a matter of using casts, plates, and screws depending on how severe dog leg injuries were.

Greenstick Fracture in Dog Leg

The classification of a fracture is what defines the treatment of the injury. There are instances when the crack to the bone doesn’t cause it to be actually snapped in half; this is called a greenstick fracture. This is treated with a simple cast and since there is not continuous damage to the tissue from bone fragments, this is the simplest fracture to deal with. The bone is eventually quickly healed. Another fracture is the closed fracture in which the bone splinters and breaks in half while still in the skin. This has to be dealt with using a cast and complete immobilization of the limb. Fragments may even have to be screwed back into the main bone. One of the worst fractures to have is the compound fracture where the broken bone juts out of the leg. This type of fracture is also dealt with in the same way as a closed fracture but since there is extensive tissue damage, this also has to be taken care of. This is one of the most painful types of fractures for humans and dogs. The last type of fracture is one that is quite common in very young dogs and called the epiphyseal fracture. Here, a trauma of compression could cause a break in the top most portion of the tibia or fibula – mostly near the knee cap area. This is because in young growing dogs, this part of the bone is still soft to allow for more growth. This kind of fracture will mostly require screws to keep the bones together when healing.

Most fracture healing depends largely on how well the healing time is managed and how old the dog is. Very obviously, the younger the dog the better that it can handle growing the bone back.

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