Fracture of the humerus after cancellous bone graft harvesting in a dog

A five-year-old male Shetland sheepdog underwent calcaneoquartal arthrodesis for instability of the proximal intertarsal joint. A cancellous bone graft was harvested from the proximal humerus and packed around the arthrodesis site. Twenty-four hours postoperatively the dog developed a non-weightbearing forelimb lameness. Clinical and radiographic examination revealed a fracture of the humerus through the hole used to obtain the graft. Surgical repair of the fracture led to an uneventful recovery.