Supernumerary ectopic limb in lamb: a case report

Congenital malformations and defects of the limbs are among the most frequent congenital anomalies found in humans and animals. A 3-day-old female lamb was referred to the Veterinary Research and Teaching Hospital, University of Tehran, Iran with a supernumerary limb in the thoracic region. The accessory limb was undeveloped in this case. Radiographic examination of the extra limb in lateral view revealed its point of attachment to the body where it dangled from the sterna region. In the extra limb, the olecranon was absent and the lateral view revealed that two metacarpal and carpal bones and three digits were identified which were fused proximally but duplicated distally, which is abnormal in lambs. One of the distal extremities was joined to two complete digits, but the other distal margin was jointed to one digit (phalanx).