A 1-year-old spayed female domestic short-hair cat presented for a nonweight-bearing
right pelvic limb lameness sustained after falling from a 4-m banister. Substantial
swelling and pain on manipulation of the right pes was appreciated on examination.
Radiographs revealed dorsoproximal metatarsophalangeal luxation of digits III- V.
Closed reduction was attempted prior to surgery but was unsuccessful. Transarticular
Kirschner’s wires were placed to maintain reduction of digits III and IV. Two additional
Kirschner’s wires were placed transversely through the base of metatarsals II-V. All
wires were bent to converge over the paw and the ends were incorporated in a sphere
of polymethylmethacrylate. Early complications included marked postoperative swelling
and distortion of the pes. Three weeks postoperatively a persistent weight-bearing
lameness and mild wire tract inflammation were noted. The implants were removed, and
the limb was coapted with a splint for a week. The paw distortion and wire tract inflammation
resolved by splint removal and the lameness resolved within 6 weeks postoperatively.
No lameness was observed on orthopaedic examination at 6 months. Radiographs revealed
mild degenerative changes of the third and fourth metatarsophalangeal and distal intertarsal
joints and moderate degenerative changes of the tarsometatarsal joints.
There are limited reports describing metatarsophalangeal luxations in cats. Although
several surgical techniques have been described, specific outcomes in clinical cases
have not been reported. The use of combined transarticular pinning and external skeletal
fixation to address multiple metatarsophalangeal luxations yielded an acceptable outcome
in the cat reported here.
Acknowledgment: There was no proprietary interest or funding provided for this project.
