Fractures

Pelvic fractures are commonly referred. Modern locking plating techniques have greatly improved the treatment of many of these injuries.

We get alot of long bone fractures referred to us, and this case history of a tibial fracture in a middle aged greyhound illustrates the sorts of things we need to think about and address when managing these cases.

External fixation is a way of fixing fractures that sometimes troubles owner but rarely troubles their pets! Pins come out through the skin and are joined to a connecting bar by a series of clamps.

Nancy, a middle aged grey hound was kicked one weekend by a horse in the London area and suffered a broken humerus. The case was seen promptly at the local Vets Now emergency clinic. The owner rang us as they had been estimated £6000 for specialist fixation of the fracture.

We see this frequently in cats that have been shunted from behind by cars, often in association with other pelvic injuries.

A much loved 13 year old cat called Chalk presented after serious trauma including a fracture/luxation on the right side of the pelvis and multiple fractures affecting the left side of the pelvis.

Poppy, a much loved cat, went missing in the Derby area for weeks over the summer of 2013. It is a mystery how she survived with severely displaced and comminuted (fragmented) fractures of the humerus of her upper right forelimb and the femur of her upper left hind limb. She was, almost incredibly, managing to walk on her two remaining legs.

Pelvic fracture is a common injury in cats after road traffic accidents. We often use modern locking plates to stabilise these injuries. Nice alignment of the pelvis can often be achieved by placing this from dorsally (ie from the top). This does mean working the plate under the major nerve to the hind limb, the sciatic nerve.

We regularly get cats referred for treatment of fractured jaws after being injured in road traffic accidents. We have been doing at least one of these cases every week for a month or two recently.

Radius and ulna fractures are common in small breed dogs. These injuries can often affect both forelimbs at the same time and these fractures in these small dogs have acquired a reputation for being at increased risk of non-union (failure of the bone ends to reunite).  

Fracture through the weaker cartilage growth plate that is situated at the end of the femur (thigh bone) is relatively common in juvenile cats. These can occur following trauma within the house with the high-jinks that young cats get up to, or after accidents outside, such as road traffic accidents etc.

Dodo, an 8 month old French Bulldog, suffered a fracture of a forelimb during play. The bones of the forelimb are the radius and the ulna, and the fracture affected the growth plates of the radius and the ulna, from which these bones grow.

We often see tibial (shin) bone fractures in cats, and these are often at the lower end of the tibia.

Beau, a gentle middle aged Staffordshire Bull Terrier bitch, was mauled in the park by another dog in an unprovoked attack that left the accompanying owners with bite wounds.

Reggie, a working spaniel suffered a fractured jaw. The mandible (lower jaw) was broken on both sides

Pelvic fractures are common injuries after road traffic accidents in dogs and cats. The pelvis almost always breaks in at least two places and usually more.

Star, a much loved working dog and also a family pet from a sheep farm in the Welsh valleys was involved in a road traffic accident on the farm.

This young dog suffered a tricky distal tibial fracture with limited soft bone at the lower end of the tibia (shin bone). It was fixed with a hybrid external fixator using a circular ring.

Tilly is 18 years old, and as sweet and gentle a cat as you’ll ever find. She likes nothing more that going out to the end of the drive to see the school kids passing by each morning and evening.