Barrueta Acevedo F.M,
Abstract
Damaged or loss ligaments poses a major surgical reconstructive problem. The
conventional method in some species is harvest donor tendons. Synthetic tendons has been
used in tendon or ligament repair, but them are not always available.
A juvenile bearded screech-owl (Megascops barbarus) was referred to the hospital for
inability to flight and to retract the left wing. Clinical examination revealed severe wing
trauma, with exposure of the ulna and partial loss of the ligamentum humerocarpale. The
animal was anesthetized and the ligament was reconstructed by using a 1 gage nylon suture,
starting with a modified three loop pulley suture to align both remaining ends of the
ligamentum humerocarpale, after that, the thread was woven over itself to reconstruct the lost
part. Immediatly after surgery, the animal was able to retract its wing. Partial
recovery of the flight function was observed at the early clinical evaluation (two weeks),
when the animal was returned to the institution from wich it came, and no complication was
noticed at this moment. Traumatic wing ligaments injuries in birds are a serious
concern. Such injuries if remain untreated can make the bird flightless as them are an integral
component of the wings extension and flexion control mechanism. Early medical care for
such injuries improves their prognosis. The injured ligamentum humerocarpale in present case
was treated early, and the remaining surrounding tissues still were viable, so the recovery was
successful at the moment the patient left the hospital.
Keywords: Wing trauma, ligament loss, synthetic repair, Megascops barbarus
