Etiology and patterns of mandibular fractures in cats

Ana C Castejon Gonzalez^1*Darko Stefanovski¹Alexander M Reiter²

• ¹University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
• ²Tierzahnzentrum München, München, Germany

Introduction¾Mandibular fractures resulting from maxillofacial trauma frequently need surgical intervention to achieve bone healing. Understanding etiology and patterns of mandibular fractures is crucial in selecting appropriate surgical treatment options. The goal of this study was 1) to describe etiology and location of mandibular fractures at and distal to the mandibular canine and 2) to identify patterns and risks factors for those mandibular fractures in client-owned cats. Methods¾Medical records and computed tomography (CT) scans of cats with at least one mandibular fracture located at or distal to the mandibular canine tooth were reviewed. CT images of mandibles with fractures of the ramus were segmented and 3D modeled (Mimics Innovation Suite, Materialise, Leuven, Belgium) and printed in white or clear resin with a SLA 3D printer (Formlabs Ó ) to identify fracture patterns. Results¾Thirty-eight cats with 62 mandibular fractures were included in the study. The most common fracture location was the mandibular ramus (51.6%, excluding the condylar process) and the condylar process (33.9%). Fractures were often severely displaced and fragmented. Evaluation of the 3D printed models identified 3 main patterns that accounted for 75% of the fractures in the mandibular ramus. Fracture etiology was significantly associated with pattern type (p=0.028). Animal altercation was 9.3 times more likely to cause a pattern A fracture than an unknown cause. Discussion¾3D printing was useful to visualize and describe patterns of mandibular fractures in cats. Pattern A fractures occur frequently secondary to animal altercations.