94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or good
Learn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish.
Find out more
ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Veterinary Dentistry and Oromaxillofacial Surgery
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1555190
Characterization of Feline Mandibular Angle Fractures Utilizing in Silico Model Construction and Fracture Mapping
Provisionally accepted- 1 School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
- 2 Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
The unique and dynamic features of the feline mandibular angle make open reduction and internal fixation in this region more challenging compared to the mandibular body. Visualization of fracture pattens on a fracture map may be a valuable tool in understanding the nature of the fractures in this region. In addition, fracture maps are beneficial in the design of hardware for rigid internal fixation. The first aim of this study was to identify possible associations between patient demographics, fracture etiologies and fracture patterns affecting the feline mandibular angle. The second aim was to create fracture maps to further analyze fracture patterns in the feline mandibular angle. Nineteen cats with twenty-two mandibular angle fractures were included in this retrospective study. Medical records were reviewed and statistically analyzed. Fracture maps were created utilizing three-dimensional in silico models from computed tomographic images and analyzed based on fracture categories/features (simple vs comminuted fractures, fracture etiologies, bilateral fractures, and age). Dependent (fracture type, dorsal fracture location/fracture origin, ventral fracture location/fracture termination, mandibular foramen involvement, and displacement score) and independent (age, sex, etiology) variables were not significantly associated. Fracture maps provided critical information regarding fracture patterns that were not appreciated from statistical analysis of patient demographics/fracture characteristics. We conclude that critical morphologic features of the feline mandibular angle likely play an important role in fracture mechanics in this region and influence fracture patterns.
Keywords: feline, Mandible, Fracture, in silico, Fracture mapping, Mandibular angle
Received: 03 Jan 2025; Accepted: 04 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tu, Hetzel and Soukup. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Jason W Soukup, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, 53706, Wisconsin, United States
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.