Epidemiological insights into long bone fractures in dogs: A one-year clinical review

Abstract

A retrospective study was conducted on canine long bone fractures presented to the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, NTR College of Veterinary Science, Gannavaram, and the SVVU Super Speciality Veterinary Hospital, Visakhapatnam, from January to December 2022. Of 8,644 surgical cases, 326 (3.77%) involved fractures, with long bones accounting for 235 (72.08%). The femur was most frequently affected (33.1%), followed by the radius/ulna, tibia/fibula, and humerus. Mongrels (29.4%) were most affected, with juveniles (39.6%) and males (55.74%) showing higher susceptibility. The right hind limb was involved in 29.9% of cases. Vehicular accidents (44.7%) and falls from height (40.0%) were the major causes. The study concludes that long bone fractures are more common in young, free-roaming male dogs exposed to urban traffic, emphasizing the need for preventive strategies, road safety awareness, and timely orthopedic management to minimize incidence and improve recovery outcomes.