Scout sustained a highly complex combination of injuries
Collaborative Care Leads To Outstanding Outcome In Challenging Trauma Case
1 week ago 
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Scout, a one-year-nine-month-old Goldendoodle, has made an excellent recovery following specialist treatment at Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists after sustaining multiple injuries in a road traffic accident.
Following initial stabilisation and referral on a Friday afternoon, Scout was assessed by Lumbry Park's Emergency, Neurology and Orthopaedic teams before undergoing advanced CT imaging of her head, thorax, abdomen, spine and pelvic limbs. The scans confirmed an unstable fracture-luxation involving the L5-L6 vertebrae, a comminuted fracture of the right femur and several additional traumatic injuries, including rib fractures, pulmonary contusions and mild bilateral pneumothorax.
Managing a patient with both significant neurological and orthopaedic injuries required close collaboration between Lumbry Park's Emergency, Diagnostic Imaging, Anaesthesia, Neurology, Orthopaedic and Nursing teams. Following multidisciplinary assessment and surgical planning, Scout underwent surgery on Saturday morning. The team first stabilised the spinal injury before, once the specialist anaesthesia team confirmed she remained stable, proceeding immediately to repair the comminuted femoral fracture during the same anaesthetic. The vertebral fracture-luxation was reduced and stabilised using a titanium polyaxial pedicle screw and rod system, while the femoral fracture was repaired using dual locking compression plates to restore alignment and stability.
After surgery, Scout recovered well under the care of the hospital's highly skilled referral nursing team, gradually regaining mobility and neurological function. Follow-up assessments demonstrated progressive healing of both fractures, with tail function returning during her recovery. Almost three months after surgery, repeat radiographs confirmed union of both fractures and Scout had returned to near-normal function, with only a subtle gait abnormality remaining. She was subsequently discharged from specialist follow-up and allowed to return to normal exercise.
Colin Driver, European Specialist in Veterinary Neurology at Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists, commented: "Scout sustained a highly complex combination of injuries, and by stabilising both the spinal injury and femoral fracture during the same operation, we were able to give Scout the best possible opportunity for recovery, and we were delighted with the outcome achieved."
He added: "One of the key factors in Scout's recovery was having immediate access to the right expertise. Our specialist teams are able to come together whatever day of the week and deliver the advanced imaging and complex surgeries that our patients require.”
Scout's case highlights the value of having a referral hospital open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With 30 internationally recognised specialists working across a broad range of disciplines, Lumbry Park is able to bring together the expertise needed to manage even the most complex cases, ensuring patients have access to specialist-led care whenever they are referred.
For more information about Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists and the wide range of referral services available, please visit www.lumbrypark.co.uk.
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