🔍 Key Findings
- Bone-to-tendon plate fixation allowed successful stabilization of a highly comminuted calcaneus fracture in a dog with fragments too small for traditional fixation.
- The plate was sutured to the common calcaneal tendon using a figure-of-8 pattern, bypassing the need for screw fixation into small proximal fragments.
- Radiographic union was achieved by 17 weeks, though considered delayed, with the dog returning to normal function by 36 weeks post-op.
- A second surgery was required to replace the tendon-anchored plate with a calcaneus-only plate due to skin ulceration and implant prominence.
- Implant-associated infection was suspected; cultures confirmed Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, managed with doxycycline and clindamycin.
- Use of human placental matrix (hPM) and both autogenous and allogenic bone grafts supported healing, though their specific contribution remains uncertain.
- Postoperative complications included delayed union and skin ulceration, emphasizing challenges of implant design and soft tissue management.
- This is the first report of using a bone-to-tendon plate for a calcaneus fracture in dogs and demonstrates its potential in cases where traditional methods are not viable.
