Severe disorders of the carpus in two cats were treated with arthrodesis. Hydroxyapatite was usage in filling up of the joint space in the carpus. Both cats were sent to the Orthopedic Service of the Veterinary Hospital, UNESP, Jaboticabal, São Paulo - Brazil. The first cat, a Siamese, 10 years old, showed hyperextension movements and luxation of the carpus joint and pain with inadequate support of the left thoracic limb. It was also observed joint degeneration and osteoarthritis. The second animal, a domestic shorthair, 8 months of age, showed inadequate support of the right thoracic limb with hyperflexion of the carpus joint and contractures of the carpus flexor tendons. A modified trans-articular external skeletal fixator (tipe IIb) with methylmethacrylate bars was utilized in these cases. The clinical and radiographic evaluations of the joints after the surgical procedure proved that the hydroxyapatite can be used as an promising alternative to cancellous bone grafts.
arthrodesis; cat; carpus; hydroxyapatite; bone fusion
