Bone Fractures in Raptors in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Region: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to perform retrospective data collection of the sites and types of fracture in raptors in order to enable wildlife veterinarians to manage cases of fracture more effectively. This study included raptors with fracture, rescued between January 2013 and August 2015 in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region in Republic of Korea. The data were collected from the medical reports and radiographic findings acquired from designated animal hospitals for wild animals, the Dongin Animal Hospital and the Kyungpook wildlife rescue center. The distribution, sites, and types of fracture, and outcomes of rescue and fracture management of the raptors included in this study were analyzed. Among the 31 birds included in this study, Falco tinnunculus was the most common species. Of the 42 sites of fracture, the diaphysis of the humerus was the most common site of fracture, and comminuted fracture was the most common type. Of the 31 birds, 13 were treated surgically. Intramedullary pinning with bandaging was the most common method of surgical treatment. While 7 of the 13 birds died, 2 were reintroduced into the wild, and 4 were kept captive. This study presents the evaluation of the data on the species, sites, and types of fracture, and treatment procedures and outcomes in raptors with fractures, rescued in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The findings of this study could serve as a basic database for the treatment of fracture in raptors.