Kitten, found on the street, not weight bearing on the front right limb, with crepitus. Radiographs of the front right limb were taken. Craniocaudal and mediolateral view of the right front limb. Radiographic changes
- There is a severe axial rotation of the limb with loss of alignement of the elbow and the carpal joint.
- There is a subluxation of the elbow joint with a separate bone opacity in proximity of the lateral humeral condyle, suspicious for avulsion of the insertion of the lateral collateral ligament (arrow). Additional damage of the medial collateral ligament is likely.
- There is a complete Salter Harris fracture of the distal physis of the radius and ulna with severe dislocation laterally and mild cranially and angulation probably of the radial epiphysis (arrowhead).
- Additional separate bone fragment palmaro distal in the area of the ulnar physis (open arrow).
- Transverse fracture (possible incomplete) of the MT 2nd, 3rd and 5th (small arrows).
- Moderate surrounding soft tissue swelling.
Post OP radiographs, mediolateral and craniocaudal projections. Comments
- Physeal fractures involving an open physis are described with the Salter-Harris classification system:
- Type I: fracture through the physis
- Type II:fracture through the physis and a portion of the metaphysis
- Type III: fracture through the physis and thorugh the epiphysis, are usually articular
- Type IV: fracture through the epiphysis, across the physis and through the metaphysis
- Type V: crushing or compression-type fracture. Increased opacity of the physis is the only radiographic sign observed in the actue injury, often the change is not recognizable on initial radiographs.Frequently they cause premature closure of all or a portion of the physis, leading to asymmetric closure.
- Type VI (not universally accepted): Partial physeal closure resulting from damage to only a portion of the physis, leading to asymmetric closure.
- Elbow luxation are not frequent in younger animals, which tend to fracture at the growth plates more often.
