A 2-yr-old female forest buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus) presented with acute trauma to the right horn following a fight with a conspecific resulting in fracture and avulsion of the frontal bone, cornual process, horn, and juxtaposed skin. The animal was sedated for wound care and debridement followed by placement of an antibacterial-impregnated polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) dressing. The dressing was noted to be intact on examination at day 7 post-injury, but had become dislodged and had to be replaced at day 11 postinjury. The replacement dressing ultimately fell off 68 days post-injury, revealing a healed circular scar. The use of PMMA in this case provided optimal wound care. In the 6 yr since the injury, the animal has grown a nearly normal-appearing horn, suggesting that the noncornual skin and associated skull structures may retain the ability to differentiate into a near-normal appearing horn because the entire horn apparatus in this case was avulsed.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 March 2008
Repair of Horn and Frontal Bone Avulsion in a Forest Buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus) with a Polymethylmethacrylate Dressing
Patrick J. Morris,
Beth Bicknese,
Meg Sutherland-Smith
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE
Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine
Vol. 39 • No. 1
March 2008
Vol. 39 • No. 1
March 2008
forest buffalo
frontal sinus fistula
Horn avulsion
polymethylmethacrylate
wound care