Foi atendido no Hospital Veterinário da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria um psitacídeo da espécie Amazona aestiva, com cinco meses de idade, 320 gramas, que apresentava desvio rotacional do membro direito na sua porção distal ao joelho. Ao exame radiográfico identificou-se luxação do joelho. Como tratamento, foi realizada artrodese dessa articulação, utilizando-se um fixador esquelético externo transarticular. Após 60 dias do procedimento cirúrgico, houve completa união (artrodese) entre o fêmur e o tibiotarso, e a ave utilizava adequadamente o membro.

A five-month-old Amazon parrot (Amazona aestiva), weighting 320g, was referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria presenting rotational deformities of the right limb distal leg. A knee joint luxation was identified in the radiographic exam. Arthrodesis was performed using transarticular external skeletal fixation. Sixty days after the surgery, there was complete osseous union (arthrodesis) between femur and tibiotarsus, and the bird recovered the function of the limb.

We used a slide culture technique to detect tubercle bacilli surviving in sputum smears (n=46) after conventional heat fixation and Ziehl-Neelsen staining. In all heat-fixed sputum smears, tubercle bacilli survived after time 0 (n=22), 24 h (n=7), 48 h (n=7), 72 h (n=4), and seven days (n=6). None of the stained sputum smears showed growth on slide cultures. Viable tubercle bacilli remaining in heat-fixed sputum smears for at least seven days may present an infection risk to laboratory staff. Thus, sputum smears should be stained immediately by the Ziehl-Neelsen method or stored in a safe container to avoid transmission of tuberculosis.