Objectives:
To identify the incidence of orthopaedic injuries secondary to dog bites, determine the responsible breeds, and assess the severity of injury by dog breed.
Design:
Retrospective.
Setting:
Single Level I trauma center.
Patients:
Ninety-five patients treated for a dog bite that resulted in an orthopaedic injury between January 2010 and July 2016.
Intervention:
Patients were treated according to their specific orthopaedic injury.
Main Outcome Measurements:
Dog breed and type of orthopaedic injury.
Results:
Thirty-nine percent of all dog bite–related emergency department visits resulted in an orthopaedic injury requiring specialist treatment. Of the 95 patients, 50% were the result of a pit bull terrier bite and 22% by a law enforcement dog. A total of 32% were attacked by multiple dogs. There was a 51% incidence of severe injury (amputation or fracture) with a significant association with breed.
Conclusions:
Thirty-nine percent of all dog bite–related emergency department visits at our facility resulted in an injury requiring orthopaedic treatment. Pit bull terrier bites were responsible for a significantly higher number of orthopaedic injuries and resulted in an amputation and/or bony injury in 66% of patients treated, whereas bites from law enforcement dogs and other breeds were less associated with severe injuries.
Level of Evidence:
Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
