Femoral neck fractures and capital epiphyseal separations in cats

Abstract

In a retrospective study, 47 fractures of the femoral neck and 17 capital epiphyseal separations were recorded in a total of 62 animals over a 12‐year period. It was found that cats sustain femoral neck fractures more often than capital epiphyseal separations. Until cats are six months old the vast majority of lesions in the proximal femur are fractures of the neck. Between the ages of six and 12 months both lesions are equally represented. After 12 months of age no capital epiphyseal separations occur and the incidence of femoral neck fractures diminishes appreciably. If left untreated, an acceptable clinical result can be obtained in both femoral neck fractures and capital epiphyseal separations, although the best functional result is achieved in femoral neck fractures. In the present study, spontaneous healing was seen only in femoral neck fractures in cats younger than three months. All cats with capital epiphyseal separations developed hypertrophic pseudoarthrosis.

Total Hip Replacement as a Treatment Option for Capital Physeal Fractures in Dogs and Cats

“…Treatment options for CPF have historically included conservative medical management, primary repair, and FHNE. Medical management without surgical stabilization in 1 study of cats showed hypertrophic pseudoarthrosis in all cats . Contrary to expected outcome when considering the blood supply to the feline proximal femur, primary repair in cats has been successful .…”

“…The CPF treatment goal is to restore a pain‐free joint with a normal function for the life of the patient while preventing the development of osteoarthritis (OA) and/or avascular necrosis. Nonsurgical treatments have predictable results of developing a nonunion, malunion, pseudoarthrosis, and/or OA . Contemporary surgical treatment options include either anatomic reduction with fracture stabilization or femoral head and neck excision (FHNE).…”

Femoral neck metaphyseal osteopathy in the cat

“…They occur most often in animals less than one year of age, whereas most of the cats described here were one year of age or older. Fractures of the femoral neck and capital physis occur more commonly in male than female cats (Perez‐Aparicio and Fjeld 1993), probably as a result of the predisposition to trauma of male urban dogs and cats which, it is suggested, are more aggressive and tend to wander more and are therefore more likely to encounter trauma (Kolata and others 1974). If the lesion is primarily a fracture then the bone resorption would be secondary to the fracture.…”

“…FRACTURES of the femoral neck are not uncommon in the cat (Bennett 1975, Hill 1977, Daly 1978, Perez‐Aparicio and Fjeld 1993) and are generally thought to be the result of trauma, although the traumatic incident is seldom witnessed. This paper describes a lesion of the proximal femoral metaphysis of the cat, characterised radiographically by bone resorption which then leads to a secondary, pathological fracture.…”

Comparison of usefulness of different diagnostic procedures in slipped capital femoral epiphysis in cats

“…Nevertheless, subtle changes early in the course of SCFE may be easier to detect with CT, when conservative treatment is still possible (8). Early surgery may also produce good results (4,5,13,20). It is questionable whether CT is indicated in cats with advanced SCFE, since radiographs are often sufficient to make a diagnosis, and the only suitable treatment option is femoral head and neck ostectomy.…”