For nearly three years, teams from VetAgro Sup, including Thibaut Cachon, Charles de Chaisemartin, and Morgane Gavet, have been monitoring the progress of Yembé, a lion rescued by La Terre de Tonga at the Espace zoologique de Saint-Martin-la-Plaine. The animal suffered from a complex mandibular condition.
Examinations revealed numerous dentigerous cysts associated with impacted teeth, which had progressively weakened its jaw, leading to a spontaneous fracture.
To promote bone reconstruction, an innovative solution was implemented: a bone allograft using tissue taken from a donor lion. This marks the first described bone allograft in lions.
A follow-up CT scan confirmed the consolidation of the jaw. Yembé has since resumed a normal diet and can once again eat whole bones.
This case also led to the development, in partnership with OST Laboratoires, of an ongoing collaboration focused on new bone grafting and filling solutions. These are now being applied in VetAgro Sup clinics for dogs and horses, particularly for managing tumors, fractures, arthrodesis, bone cysts, or mandibular defects.
New research avenues are also being explored, especially for the treatment of oro-sinus fistulas in horses.
