Plate removal

The scar in the skin of the original skin incision was excised and removed. The remainder of the approach was identical to the original.
The plate was isolated and the bone covering the plate was removed with an old osteotome. The screws were retracted and the plate removed. The postoperative radiograph showed an irregular osseous contour where the screws entered the bone at the surface.

The 4-month radiographs show an incongruence at the elbow joint (red arrow).
Fracture healing incorporated the distal aspect of the ulna (green arrow) and prevented it to slide proximally in concert with the growth of the radius at the proximal physis and epiphysis.
Incongruency of the humeroulnar joint (elbow dysplasia) was the end result.

To facilitate proximal displacement of the proximal aspect of the ulna an osteotomy was performed 5 cm distal to the elbow joint (green arrow) without subsequent internal fixation. The osteotomy was performed at the time of plate removal through a second incision.

The immediate postoperative lateromedial radiograph already showed some proximal displacement of the proximal aspect of the ulna.

6 weeks later good osseous filling of the osteotomy gap was ongoing and at that time the animal was sound.