Lego tortoise

30december2013
Source: dierennieuws.nl
A creative veterinarian has arranged for a tortoise to walk once again. A Lego wheel replaces the amputated front leg. Schildi the tortoise can again "race" through the garden.
Schildi, a land tortoise, was found in a garden, heavily wounded. A veterinarian saw that the animal’s wounded right front leg could not be saved. An amputation at the shoulder was necessary. A prosthesis was necessary to allow the tortoise to walk again, but such a prosthesis isn’t readily available. Fortunately, Schildi had ended up at the hands of a creative vet. And fortunately, this vet had access to a box of Lego. First, surgical glue was used to fasten a Lego piece on the underside of the animal’s shell. When a block with two wheels was added, Schildi could get around again, but had trouble with turns. The solution was a piece with a single wheel: Schildi can now take corners. Replacing this piece was no problem at all, it just needed to be clicked into place. The veterinarian expects that Schildi will need to come back about once a year for a tyre change. And if the tortoise continues to grow, the prosthesis can easily be extended by adding another block.