Surgical management of a traumatic dislocation of the sternum in an English bulldog

Abstract

A nine-year-old English bulldog presented with an acute history of dyspnoea, tachycardia and discomfort localising to the ventral thorax following a fall down the stairs that morning. After the dog was stabilised, thoracic radiographs revealed a luxation of the third and fourth sternebrae with dorsal displacement of the caudal segment. The sternum was reduced and stabilised with a contoured 12-hole 3 · 5-mm dynamic compression plate applied to the ventral surface of the sternum. The dog's initial recovery was rapid, cardiorespiratory parameters returning to normal in the first 24 hours. For 2 weeks postoperatively the dog exhibited difficulty in rising from a prone position. After this time there was a full recovery. Clinical examination at 8 months postoperatively did not reveal any abnormalities. Telephone follow-up was performed at 18 months and no complications or cardiorespiratory compromise were reported. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of a traumatic dislocation of the sternum and its management in the dog.

Management of sternal dislocation with and without surgery in cats: Owner-assessed long-term follow-up of two clinical cases

“…Falling may be a common cause of SD in cats, as the SD in both of these cases resulted from a fall. Similar findings were also reported in a dog by Serra et al [ 15 ]; however, the limitations of these small studies indicate that these findings should be interpreted cautiously.…”

“…However, management of sternal fracture in veterinary practice remains beyond the normal scope of veterinary trauma surgeons, as reflected by the small number of reports in the veterinary field. Only one peer-reviewed study in a dog [ 15 ] and one anecdotal study of dogs and cats [ 9 ] are available. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of sternal fracture in cats.…”

Sternal Dislocation and Associated Lung Lobe Hernia in a Cat

“…Surgery is indicated in patients with significant displacement, uncontrolled pain, cardiorespiratory compromise, or clinical nonunion [ 10 ]. By extension in veterinary medicine, surgical management should be considered in cases of severe displacement, impaired breathing, or severe pain [ 3 , 4 ]. Based on this case report, the authors also recommend surgical intervention if there is a clinical suspicion of incarcerated lung herniation.…”

Sternal Abnormalities on Thoracic Radiographs of Dogs and Cats

“…Sternal dislocation is infrequently reported in veterinary literature and is most often considered to be of traumatic origin [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Based on history and other findings, a traumatic origin was suspected in all three cats with sternal dislocation included in our study population.…”

“…Sternal malformations sometimes form a part of a larger congenital defect with expansion to the adjacent thoracic and abdominal structures as well as diaphragmatic cupula [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Acquired sternal abnormalities include neoplasia [ 14 ], traumatic or pathological fracture and luxation [ 15 , 16 , 17 ], infection [ 18 , 19 , 20 ], and degenerative disease of the intersternebral cartilage [ 21 ].…”