Meet Bella, an adorable 12-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, who got a sudden fright and decided to jump off her owner’s two-storey balcony. Unfortunately, it was not a soft landing and she fell straight onto concrete, where the impact caused a broken canine tooth, bruised liver and torn ligaments in her wrists (carpal hyperextension).
Bella had over stretched the carpus area when she fell. This can result in stretching or tearing of the ligaments at the back of the joint (palmar ligaments), which are vital for the stability of the wrist joint. Once these ligaments are torn, they cannot be repaired without surgery.
A Bilateral pancarpal arthrodesis operation (fusing of the joint) was performed by our very own Dr Geoff Wilson. During this procedure, the cartilage from the entire joint is removed and the carpus is stabilised with a bone plate and screws. One-week post-surgery, we are very happy to say Bella is recovering well with a dedicated rehabilitation and activity plan and has packed her superhero cape away in the cupboard for now.