Baxter's Injury

Carpal Hyperextension - what is it?
	It is severe damage of the ligaments that support the Carpus or Wrist joint. The Palmar fibrocartilage is a very strong ligament structure on the back of the wrist, that prevents the joint from extending too much !
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Basically the ligaments snap. The result is that the paw sinks down to the ground during weight bearing, as seen in the image below. This injury is associated with landing from a significant height.
	Baxter injured both wrists simultaneously, when chasing a ball in a sand school on a level surface. Surgical fusion of the carpal joint is usually required; in most cases all three sections of the joint must be fused together.
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wrist bones of a dog	Carpal surgery	Arthrodesis plate
Surgical principles Joints must be free of infection All cartilage is removed from joints Bone grafts taken from the dog's shoulder is packed into the joint to stimulate healing. (in Baxter's case his bone grafts were taken from both hips, as both wrists had been damaged). The joint is positioned in a functional angle and stabilised using an "Arthrodesis" plate specifically made for this purpose and screwed into the bone. Post op' pain killers and antibiotics Limited walking for urination / bowel movements only until all has been confirmed healed by X-ray. Complete cage rest at all other times. X-rays are taken at 6 and 12 weeks after surgery. Once healed, lead exercise starting with 5 minutes daily walking is gradually increased by 5 minutes weekly until a normal amount of walking is achieved. Baxter will have to be able to walk for 1 hour before he will be able to go off lead. Potential complications Anaesthetic death is very uncommon with modern and sophisticated monitoring devices and advanced anesthetic procedures. Infection is possible but very uncommon Cold sensitivity requiring removal of the plate and screws after a year Failure of healing, necessitating re-grafting of the joint Breakage of the plate or screws.