Summary
Disruption of the triceps tendon insertion is an uncommon injury, with only a few
reports of traumatic triceps tendon avulsion in dogs or cats present in the veterinary
literature. Although this injury has been previously described in two dogs that had
received a local injection of corticosteroids for the treatment of soft tissue injuries,
reports with long term clinical follow-up and outcome in working dogs are lacking.
This report describes two surgically treated cases of complete triceps tendon avulsion
rupture in Malinois police dogs. These two dogs had a history of repeated local infiltration
of a corticosteroid preparation used to treat adventitial bursitis. The clinical features,
surgical treatment, long-term management and outcome are reported. A modified triple
locking loop pattern was used to suture the tendons. The long-term outcome was considered
excellent with both dogs resuming work. Although it is an uncommon condition in small
animals, avulsion of the triceps tendon should remain on the differential diagnosis
list for acute onset forelimb lameness, particularly if there is a history of local
infiltration with corticosteroids. The diagnosis should be based on clinical, radiographic
and ultrasonographic examination.
Keywords
Triceps tendon rupture - steroids - adventitial bursitis
