Treatment of traumatic articulatio cubiti luxation: A retrospective study in six cats

Abstract

Traumatic elbow joint luxation is the displacement of one or more bones forming the elbow joint due to blunt trauma, and it is uncommon in dogs and rare in cats. Although there are numerous case series in dogs, a few feline reports have been described. The aim of this study is to present the results of the clinical, radiological findings and administered treatments in cats with traumatic elbow luxation. Six cats with a diagnosis of traumatic elbow luxation due to clinical and radiological examinations were included in this study. Two acute cases were treated with closed reduction, but it was not possible to achieve reduction by close manipulation in four chronic cases. Two of the chronic cases, the lateral collateral ligament was repaired with a 2/0 polypropylene suture. The lateral collateral ligament was beyond to repair in 2 of the remaining chronic cases; in one of these cases the stability was achieved with circumferential wire prostheses, in other case with two screw and figure-eight-wire technique. There was no failure and/or complication in none of the cases after treatment. In conclusion, when the closed reduction is unsuccessful for the treatment of traumatic elbow luxation or in chronic cases, open reduction is found satisfactory.