Stairstep osteotomy for the treatment of radial shortening and forelimb deformity in a dog

A case of radius shortening in an 11-month old female Fox Terrier referred to Veterinary Teaching Hospital of University of Camerino, Italy. Radiographic and tomographic examinations suggested a traumatic premature closure of distal and proximal physis of radius, resulting in a lateral and caudal radial shortening of 2.98 mm and moderate angular deformity in the proximal radius. Stairstep osteotomy of the radial diaphysis was performed to re-establishing the length of the bone and the elbow congruence. The distraction was obtained by temporary linear external skeletal fixation and the osteotomy was synthesized by using of a 2.4 locking compression plate applied to the cranial aspect of radius. This is the first description of sagittal sliding osteotomy used to correct both limb deformity and radial shortening.