Presentation, treatment and outcome of fractures in pet rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Garcia-Pertierra, Sofia; Ryan, John; Richardson, Jenna; Keeble, Emma; Eatwell, Kevin; Clements, Dylan

doi:10.22233/9781910443699.84.1

Cited by 1 publication

(6 citation statements)

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“…The percentage of treatments with a positive outcome was comparable to the results of a previous report by Garcia-Pertierra et al, 9 who found a positive therapy outcome in 76.9% of all treated rabbits. However, Sasai et al 7 found a higher number of positive therapy outcomes (86.0%).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…The prevalence of limb bone fractures was comparable to previous studies examining limb fracture occurrence in rabbits, 7,9 cats and dogs. [22][23][24] The percentage of open fractures was similar to that in a study by Garcia-Pertierra et al, 9 but lower than that reported by Sasai et al 7 Incorrect handling by the animal owners as well as the rabbits' natural behaviour, including powerful and fast limb movements together with comparably light bones accounting for only 6%-8% of total body mass, 3,25 predispose pet rabbits to limb fractures. Depending on the housing form, regularity of animal control by the owners and individual signs of pain, 26,27 an early recognition of limb fractures might be difficult.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…The frequent occurrence of complications within the rehabilitation period contrasts with the findings of a study evaluating complications of fracture therapy in rabbits, 9 but correlates with the results of studies analysing complications in cats and dogs. 22,36,37 Optimising the patient's postsurgical rehabilitation is the key to reducing major and minor complications and achieving better overall treatment results.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

“…42,43 The overall complication rate of surgically treated patients is comparable to a previous report on perioperative complications in pet rabbits. 9 However, Diehm 22 found considerably lower figures for dogs (16.6%) and cats (9.2%).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…4 Fracture aetiologies are diverse, including accidents related to handling or equipment, blunt trauma or behaviour. 5,6 Only a few studies have compared diagnostic and therapeutic details of limb fractures in rabbits, [7][8][9] acquiring different results for outcome and complication rate associated with fracture therapy. Treatment modalities can be broadly classified into conservative and surgical options.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Treatment options, complications and long‐term outcomes for limb fractures in pet rabbits

Hetterich

Joos²,

Beyerbach³

et al. 2022

Veterinary Record

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Background Limb fractures represent the most common orthopaedic disease in pet rabbits. However, only a few studies have evaluated therapeutic details of limb fractures. There are no data available for long‐term outcomes of limb fracture treatment. Methods The medical records of six institutions were reviewed retrospectively to identify cases of traumatic limb bone fractures in pet rabbits between 1999 and 2020. The medical records (n = 387) were analysed for details of fracture prevalence, aetiology, therapy protocols, treatment complications, outcome and long‐term effects. In addition to the retrospective data evaluation, 13 rabbits were re‐evaluated in person in recent clinical analyses, including orthopaedic examination, radiography and computed‐tomographic imaging. Details of long‐term effects of fracture treatment were requested over the telephone for a further 232 animals using a standardised questionnaire. Results Long bone fractures accounted for the majority of all fractures (296/387; 76.5%). Hindlimb fractures (301/387; 77.7%) were more common than forelimb fractures (86/387; 22.2%), and tibial fractures and combined fractures of the tibia and fibula (119/387; 30.8%) were observed most frequently. Most fracture treatments were based on osteosynthesis procedures (243/328; 74.1%). Treatment complications occurred in 130 out of 328 (39.6%) cases. A high bodyweight (p = 0.047) and an older age (p = 0.01) were found to be significant risk factors for the emergence of therapy complications. Overall, 75.4% of animals (175/232) had a satisfactory long‐term outcome. Limb posture anomalies were evaluated in 61 cases (26.3%). Limitations The multi‐centre approach led to the inclusion of various institutions, veterinarians, treatment protocols and rabbit populations that might have influenced the results. The medical records were reviewed retrospectively, so there were some data that were lacking or could not be collected in a standardised manner. Furthermore, rabbit owners' evaluation of long‐term outcomes might be prone to error, despite the use of a standardised interview questionnaire. Conclusion Limb fractures are a common orthopaedic issue in pet rabbits. The patient's bodyweight and age are significant risk factors for the emergence of complications during the fracture treatment process. Long‐term orthopaedic effects, such as abnormal limb posture and permanent lameness of the affected limb, were observed regularly.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%