Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Stress fractures of the kneecap in 34 cats and treatment results
By Langley-Hobbs, S J·Published in The Veterinary record·2009·Department of Veterinary Medicine, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Survey of 52 fractures of the patella in 34 cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 34 cats, mostly around two years old, were found to have stress fractures in their kneecaps (patella) without any obvious injury. Many of these cats had fractures in both knees, and some had previously broken other bones. When treated with a pin and tension band, most of the fractures did not heal properly, leading to further issues in movement. While some cats managed to get by with their injuries, many remained stiff and limping.
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Abstract
Stress fractures of the patella were diagnosed in 34 cats with a mean age of two years and five months. Eighteen of the cats had bilateral fractures with a median interval of three months between fractures. All the fractures were transverse and occurred in the proximal aspect or base of the patella with no evidence of trauma. In 43 of the patellae there was radiographic evidence of sclerosis. Repairs with a pin and tension band in 18 cats resulted in a further fracture or failure of fixation in 86 per cent of the cases that were followed up. Ten of the cats had suffered fractures of other bones at different times to the patellae fractures. In the majority of the cats the fracture formed a functional non-union but some cats remained stiff and lame.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19151405/