Incidence of pelvic fractures in dogs

Introduction

Pelvic fractures are one of the most frequently encountered traumatic orthopaedic conditions in dogs and are commonly associated with high-impact injuries such as automobile accidents and falls from height (Yurtal et al., 2022) [13] . The increasing trend of pet ownership and greater outdoor exposure of dogs have contributed to a rise in the occurrence of pelvic injuries in small animal practice (Flores et al., 2023) [6] . Pelvic fractures often involve multiple bones of the pelvic girdle and may result in severe pain, lameness, and locomotor dysfunction. The incidence study of pelvic fractures provides valuable information regarding age, sex, breed predisposition, bones involved, and aetiology of trauma. Such knowledge helps Veterinary orthopaedic surgeons in planning appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for successful management of pelvic fracture cases.

per cent (n = 3). The lowest incidence was observed in dogs above 5 years of age, accounting for 8.69 per cent (n = 2), as presented in Table 2 and Fig. 2.

Gender-wise incidence of pelvic fractures in dogs

Out of the 23 dogs diagnosed with pelvic fractures, 56.52 per cent (n = 13) were males, while 43.47 per cent (n = 10) were females. The gender-wise distribution of pelvic fracture cases is presented in Table 3 and Fig. 3.

Breed-wise incidence of pelvic fractures in dogs

The breed specific analysis of incidence of pelvic fractures revealed the higher number of affected dogs were nondescript breeds (n= 10, 43.47%). This was followed by Dachshund (n=4, 17.39%) and Shih Tzu (n= 3, 13.04%). This was followed by Labrador Retriever (n=2, 8.69%). Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, American Bully and Doberman accounted for one each (4.34 %). The breed-wise occurrence of pelvic fractures in dogs is presented in the Table 4 and Fig. 4.

Bone wise incidence of pelvic fractures in dogs

The distribution of bones involved in pelvic fractures is illustrated in Figure 5. Isolated pelvic fractures were rarely observed, whereas the majority of cases presented with multiple fractures. In 23 cases included in the study, 69 fractures were noticed. Multiple pelvic fractures accounted for 84.52 per cent of the cases. Among these, fractures of the ilium were most common (34.78%), followed by sacroiliac luxation (28.98%). Fractures of the ischium were recorded in 13.04 per cent of cases, pelvic floor involvement was noted in 17.39 per cent, and acetabular fractures were observed in 5.79 per cent of cases. The bone-wise occurrence of pelvic fractures in dogs is presented in the Table 5 and Fig. 5.

Aetiology-wise incidence of pelvic fracture in dogs

In this study, automobile accidents were responsible for most of the pelvic fracture cases in dogs (n=21, 91.30%), while falls from height were recorded in only two cases (8.69%). The aetiology wise occurrence of pelvic fractures in dogs is presented in the Table 6 and Fig. 6. Note: A total of 69 pelvic fracture lesions were recorded in 23 dogs because multiple fracture sites were present in several cases. Percentages were calculated using 69 fracture lesions at the denominator.

Discussion

Incidence of pelvic fractures in dogs

A total of 163 canine cases with fractures involving various bones were presented to the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, Veterinary College Hospital, Hassan, between January 2025 and December 2025. Among these, 23 dogs were diagnosed with pelvic fractures. The overall incidence of pelvic fractures during the study period was accounted to be 14.11 per cent. Similar observations were reported by Phillips (1979 ) [11] , De Camp et al. (2016) and Bouabdallah et al. (2020) [1] .

Age-wise incidence of pelvic fractures in dogs

The age-wise incidence of pelvic fractures was classified into five groups: 0-6 months, 7-12 months, 1-3 years, 3-5 years, and above 5 years. The high incidence was noted in dogs aged 1-3 years, constituting 39.13 per cent (n = 9), followed by the 7-12 months age group, which accounted for 21.73 per cent (n = 5). Dogs aged 0-6 months represented 17.39 per cent (n = 4), whereas those in the 3-5 years category comprised 13.04 per cent (n = 3). The low incidence was observed in dogs above 5 years of age, accounting for 8.69 per cent (n = 2). These findings were in accordance with Kim et al. (2011) [9] , Bouabdallah et al.

(2020) [1] and Yurtal et al. (2022) [13] . Anatomically, skeletal immaturity characterized by thinner cortical bone, open physes and relatively higher cancellous bone content reduces bone strength and stiffness, predisposing them to fractures under traumatic stress. In contrast, adult dogs possess thicker cortical bone and greater biomechanical stability, which may offer better resistance to minor trauma (Kim et al., 2011) [9] .

Gender-wise incidence of pelvic fractures in dogs

Higher incidence of pelvic fractures was observed in male dogs (n = 13; 56.52%) compared to female dogs (n = 10; 43.47%) in the present study. Similar findings were reported by Bouabdallah et al. (2020) [1] and Flores et al. (2023) [6] .

This may be attributed to the more active nature, territorial and reproductive behaviour of male dogs, along with their greater tendency to roam freely. Increased exposure to road traffic accidents and traumatic injuries in male dogs could also be a contributing factor.

Breed-wise incidence of pelvic fractures in dogs

Breed-wise analysis of pelvic fractures revealed a higher incidence in non-descript breeds (n = 10; 43.47%), followed by Dachshund (n = 4; 17.39%), Shih Tzu (n = 3; 13.04%), and Labrador Retriever (n = 2; 8.69%). Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, American Bully, and Doberman accounted for one case each (4.34%). Similar observations were reported by Simon et al. (2010) [12] , Hoffberg et al.

(2016) [8] , and Patwa et al. (2024) [10] . The higher incidence in non-descript breeds may be attributed to their larger population size and increased free-roaming tendency, predisposing them to road traffic accidents and traumatic injuries.

Bone wise incidence of pelvic fractures in dogs

Multiple pelvic fractures were more common than isolated pelvic fractures, accounting for 84.52 per cent (n = 19) of the cases. Out of 69 fractures recorded in 23 dogs, iliac fractures were the most common (n = 24; 34.78%), followed by sacroiliac luxation (n = 20; 28.98%), pelvic floor involvement (n = 12; 17.39%), ischial fractures (n = 9; 13.04%), and acetabular fractures (n = 4; 5.79%). Similar findings were reported by Draffan et al. (2009) [4] , Bouabdallah et al. (2020) [1] , and Catalkaya et al. (2024) [2] . The predominance of multiple pelvic fractures and higher incidence of iliac fractures and sacroiliac luxation may be attributed to the rigid ring structure of the pelvis and its major role in weight transmission, while acetabular fractures were less common due to the substantial focal force required to disrupt the articular surface, as reported by De Camp et al. (2016) [3] .

Aetiology-wise incidence of pelvic fracture in dogs Automobile accidents were identified as the major cause of pelvic fractures in dogs, accounting for 91.30 per cent (n = 21) of the cases, whereas falls from height were recorded in only two cases (8.69%). Similar findings were reported by Harasen (2007) [7] , Draffan et al. (2009) [4] , and Ferreira et al. (2020) [5] . The predominance of automobile accidents may be attributed to the high-energy compressive and shearing forces acting on the pelvic region during vehicular trauma, particularly in free-roaming dogs, as also observed by Yurtal et al. (2022) [13] .

Conclusion

In conclusion, pelvic fractures were more commonly observed in dogs aged 1-3 years, male dogs, and nondescript breeds. Multiple pelvic fractures were more frequent than isolated fractures, with iliac fractures and sacroiliac luxation being the most commonly affected sites. Automobile accidents were identified as the major cause of pelvic fractures in the present study.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgmentsAuthors are thankful to Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, Veterinary College, Hassan, Karnataka for their support.

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