Treatment of long bone fractures of extremities in cats

The increase in the number of cats fed as pet animals in the world has caused veterinarians to face feline fractures more frequently. Although the principles of treatment of long bone fractures in cats are similar to those of dogs, there are several differences in orthopedic techniques depending on the patient and the fracture. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate 71 extremity long bone fractures encountered in 58 cats and to share the findings of treatment. In 58 cats used in the study, it was determined that the hind limb fractures were more common and the most common fractured bone was the tibia, followed by the femur, humerus, antebrachium, radius and ulna. According to cause of fractures, it was observed that 51.72% were falling from height, 36.20% were caused by various traumas and 12% by traffic accidents. When the treatment methods were evaluated, intramedullary pin was used in 54 cases, plate and screws in 4 cases, plate and pin combination in one case, caput and collum femoris resection in 4 cases, bandage in 4 cases, external fixation in 3 cases, and amputation in open infected antebrachium case which was previously operated and complicated. Functional improvement was achieved in all cases except two cases and the patients started to use their legs. The most important criteria in choosing the method of fracture treatment was determined as the economic constraints and most of the owners preferred intramedullary pin and did not prefer the use of plate. As a result, although it may not possible to choose the most appropriate treatment method for fracture type because of economic reasons it is decided that it is possible to get successful results by using the chosen method correctly and sometimes using a few methods together (intramedullary pin, cerclage, bandage). Key Words: Cat, extremity, long bone, fracture, treatment