Presumed concurrent medial coronoid process fracture is a frequent radiographic finding in dogs and cats with humeral condylar fractures

Emilie J. Pierrot DVM , Géraldine E. Bolen DVM, PhD, DECVDI , Bernard M. Bouvy DVM, MS, DECVS, DACVS , Marc H. Balligand DVM, PhD, DECVS , and Pierre P. Picavet DVM, MS, DECVS

Background: The authors wanted to report the prevalence and risk factors of presumed medial coronoid process fractures in dogs and cats with humeral condylar fractures, and to evaluate the clinical relevance of such fractures.

Study: The authors conducted a retrospective study of medical records and radiographs of 48 dogs and 7 cats diagnosed with humeral condylar fractures between October 2013 and March 2022.

Methods: The authors collected data on species, sex, neutered status, age, weight, and type of trauma. They also assessed the configuration, nature, and comminution of the humeral condylar fracture, the presence, number, and size of the suspected medial coronoid process fracture, the degree of radioulnar incongruity, soft tissue swelling, and elbow luxation/subluxation. They performed logistic regression and Student test to analyze the association between these variables and the presence and size of the suspected medial coronoid process fracture.

Results: The authors found that 26 of 57 elbows (25 dogs and 1 cat) had a presumed fracture of the medial coronoid process. The only significant risk factor for this fracture was the comminution of the humeral condylar fracture. The size of the fragment was positively correlated with body weight and tended to be larger in T/Y fractures and smaller in chondrodystrophic breeds.

Limitations: The authors acknowledged that their study had several limitations, such as the retrospective and observational nature, the reliance on radiographs only, the variable positioning of the patients, the lack of orthopedic assessment prior to the trauma, and the absence of clinical follow-up or treatment for the suspected medial coronoid process fracture.

Conclusions: The authors concluded that there was a high prevalence of presumed medial coronoid process fractures in dogs and cats with humeral condylar fractures, especially in comminuted fractures. They suggested that further studies are needed to determine the clinical impact and the optimal management of such fractures.

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