28/05/2026
A technical post from Evening Vet.
Ash is a young Tonkinese, and he came in with a growth plate fracture.
The bone lengthens from growth plates. One of these growth plates is just above the knee. It slipped and the knee joint (if you can spot where on the xray) has slipped around slightly.
Dr Gregor carried out a distal femoral cross pinning, this is a surgical procedure to repair fractures of the lower femur's growth plate (physis). It involves realigning the broken bone and inserting two crossed metal pins (K-wires) to hold the fragments securely. This provides stability while preserving the joint.
For Ash, the growth plate will usually continue to grow and lengthen the bone, ignoring the presence of the pins.
