Doctors of Madurai Poly Clinic with the treated cow in Madurai.
A 2.5-year-old cow which suffered from misalignment of forelimb (Metacarpal bone), developed during the healing process, was treated by the doctors at Madurai Poly Clinic and helped restore its original state.
As the cow fell and injured one of its legs about six months ago, the owner Sriram of Rajapalayam took the calf to a nearby veterinary clinic.
Doctors there treated it and Plaster of Paris cast was applied on the left forelimb below knee joint to correct the fractured bone.
But, after three weeks, even after the cast was removed, the cow struggled to walk as the leg was found bending outwards.
The cow was referred to a poly clinic at Tallakulam in Madurai. Doctors, during pre-operative assessment with the radiography results, learned that the fractured bone was on the healing process, but the callus formation at the site of injury led to misalignment of the bones, said C. Meril Raj, Veterinary Assistant Surgeon.
The doctor added that callus formation was a common phenomenon observed during the healing process of any fractures.
However, when the POP cast was tightly fixed and the injured part remained intact during the healing process, the callus formation could be avoided.
But, in the case of injured cow, as the POP cast was loosely fixed and it was later removed by the owner, the frequent movements of the animal led to the callus formation, Dr. Meril Raj added.
“As surgical correction was found to be a feasible way to correct the deformity, closing wedge osteotomy procedure was done on the cow,” he noted.
He elaborated on the multiplanar Epoxy-pin External Skeletal Fixator (ESF) which was constructed around the misaligned area using eight 2.5mm Steinmann pins.
As the setup prevented the movement of the fractured part, the bones have started realigning, and it has almost been restored to its original shape, he noted.
“While the veterinary clinics are capable to treat pet animals, they lack the manpower and technologies to focus on large animals’ orthopedics,” he stated.
The cows and goats, used mostly by farmers in villages, lacked the resources to treat the animals in case of bone injuries.
“But the evolving methods and technologies have paved the way to treat any form of bone injures in government hospitals,” Dr. Meril Raj added.
Published – June 07, 2025 10:11 pm IST