Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Limping young male neutered obese cats may have hip fractures
By Lafuente, Pilar·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2011·Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Young, male neutered, obese, lame? Non-traumatic fractures of the femoral head and neck.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A young, neutered male cat that is overweight was found to be limping due to a spontaneous fracture in the hip area. These types of fractures can happen without any obvious injury, especially in cats that are prone to certain bone conditions. While surgery to remove the damaged part of the hip can help the cat regain some function, it's better to try to stabilize the fracture and preserve the joint if caught early. Early detection is key for the best outcome, so if your cat shows signs of limping, it's important to see a vet right away.
People also search for: why is my cat limping · cat hip fracture treatment · overweight cat joint problems
Abstract
PATIENT GROUP: Young, male neutered, obese cats are predisposed to sustaining spontaneous capital physeal fractures, as well as fractures of the femoral neck secondary to metaphyseal osteopathy. PRACTICAL RELEVANCE: Although femoral head and neck excision generally leads to adequate limb function, and is appropriate for chronic fractures, it is a salvage procedure and irreversible. Ideally, for acute capital physeal fractures an attempt should be made to stabilise the fracture and save the coxofemoral joint. This requires early detection of the femoral fracture. CLINICAL CHALLENGES: Orthopaedic examination in cats can be challenging. Yet thorough assessment is needed to allow localisation of the pathology to the hip joint, and to rule out other orthopaedic conditions such as cranial cruciate ligament rupture. Stabilisation of these types of fracture may also prove challenging. AUDIENCE: This review is aimed at general practitioners who have some experience in orthopaedic surgical procedures, as well as those simply wishing to expand their knowledge of feline orthopaedic conditions.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21704899/