CLASSIFICATION OF 202 TIBIAL FRACTURES IN DOGS AND CATS

202 Tibial fractures, in 138 dogs and 64 cats, were classified accordi ng to the system of linger. The animals were presented between 1989 an d 1994 to four Dutch veterinary orthopaedic referral clinics. In addit ion to the type of fracture demographic information was taken into acc ount including the species, the age of the patient, the site of the br eed, the treatment, whether it was a open or closed fracture and the o rthopaedic clinic. Possible correlation between the type of fracture a nd the variables, as well as correlations among the latter, were exami ned statistically. In this study 73% of the tibial fractures in dogs a nd cats were in the diaphysis, oblique fracture being the most frequen t (24%). Proximal tibial fractures in dogs were usually extra-articula r and 87% of these involved avulsion of the tibial tubercle. Malleolar fractures accounted for 57% of the distal fractures. A significant co rrelation was found between the localization of the fracture (proximal , diaphyseal or distal) and the species (cat or dog), between an avuls ion fracture of the tibial tubercle and the age in dogs, between an in complete tibial fracture and the age, between a malleolar fracture and a complicated (i.e., open)fracture, between a butterfly fracture and a complicated fracture, and between the applied therapy and the orthop aedic clinic. The classification system of Unger is very useful for in ventory and documentation, but because of the lack of data about physe al fractures, the degree of injury to the surrounding soft tissues, an d the influence of differences between surgeons, it cannot be used to determine therapy.