🔍 Key Findings

From Allaith et al., 2023 – Outcomes from a multiuser canine hip replacement registry

• 2375 total hip replacements were analyzed across 1852 dogs, making this the largest multiuser canine THR dataset to date.
• Most common indications for THR were hip dysplasia (51%) and osteoarthritis (34%).
• Implants used included Kyon (46%), BioMedtrix CFX (22%), Hybrid (11%), BFX (9%), and Helica (4.5%).
• Veterinary-reported complication rate was 8.5%, while owner-reported was 23%, with moderate agreement (k=0.44).
• Most common complications: Luxation, femoral fracture, and aseptic loosening.
• BioMedtrix BFX and Helica implants had a higher risk of complications when used after femoral head and neck excision (P = .031).
• Postoperative LOAD scores significantly improved vs preoperative (21 → 11; P < .0001), supporting improved mobility.
• Owner satisfaction was high, with 88% rating outcome as very good or good.

🔍 Key Findings

• Cup positioning accuracy for the angle of lateral opening (ALO) was significantly influenced by impactor design for beginner surgeons.
• The prototype impactor reduced ALO mean error for the beginner surgeon (1.8°) compared with the standard impactor (3.9°).
• Senior surgeons achieved similar ALO accuracy regardless of impactor type, suggesting experience mitigates instrument limitations.
• Beginner surgeons using the standard impactor tended to place cups with excessive ALO (~48.9°), deviating from the ideal 45°.
• Cup retroversion accuracy was not significantly affected by the impactor type, indicating it depends more on surgeon experience and anatomical landmark recognition.
• Typical acceptable retroversion range for Zurich THR cups is approximately 15–25°, matched to the patient’s acetabular anatomy.
• Prototype impactor design improvements included ergonomic handle, wider hammering surface, shorter aiming bar, and cup-size–specific holders, improving instrument stability and alignment.
• Improved instrument ergonomics may facilitate safer learning curves for surgeons performing canine total hip replacement.

🔍 Key Findings

• Perioperative mortality rate was low (2.9%), with no intraoperative deaths reported.
• Intraoperative complications occurred in 54.3% of dogs, most commonly hemorrhage and cardiovascular events.
• 21% of dogs required blood transfusions, though transfusion was not associated with higher complication risk.
• Advanced hemodynamic support (fluid + cardiovascular) was significantly associated with short-term complications (OR 17.3, p = .029) and shorter survival.
• No surgical method (e.g., TA stapler, vessel sealing device, hilar resection) was associated with increased risk of complications.
• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was the most common diagnosis (53%), with an MST of 741 days and 17.6% recurrence.
• Surgical margins (complete vs incomplete) were not associated with overall survival time in dogs with HCC.
• The use of preoperative CT and improved surgical instrumentation may have contributed to the lower observed mortality.

🔍 Key Findings

• 20.6% of dogs had a preoperative prolongation in PT or aPTT, but only 5.6% had both prolonged.
• Hemangiosarcoma was the only tumor type significantly associated with both PT and aPTT prolongation (37.5% of hemangiosarcoma cases, p < .001).
• Dogs with both PT and aPTT prolongations were 6.5× more likely to have emergency surgery (p < .001) and 2.5× more likely to have hemoabdomen (p = .0022).
• 60% of dogs with both PT and aPTT prolongation required blood transfusion (p < .001).
• Only 1.9% of all dogs had both PT and aPTT prolonged by >25%, suggesting limited clinical utility of routine PT/aPTT testing.
• Platelet count <50,000/μL was rare (1.5%) and not associated with PT/aPTT changes or transfusions.
• Routine PT/aPTT testing offers low diagnostic yield in elective liver lobectomy cases.
• Authors recommend case-by-case PT/aPTT screening, especially when hemangiosarcoma or bleeding tendencies are suspected.

🔍 Key Findings

Design: Ex vivo cadaver study (n=8 dogs, 24 sites)
Comparison: Freehand vs. 3D-printed drill guide-assisted ventral slot (GAVS vs FHVS)
Findings:

• GAVS produced slots not significantly different from planned dimensions (p = .722–.875)
• FHVS produced significantly shorter slots than intended (p < .01)
• No difference in surgical time (p = .071)
• Shape ratio and slot divergence from midline were similar between groups (p > .4)
• Use of guide significantly reduced variability in slot position (63% → 29%), shape (65% → 24%), and divergence (54% → 50%)

Conclusion: 3D-printed guides improved accuracy and consistency of ventral slot creation by novice surgeons; supports future evaluation in live dogs and small breeds

🔍 Key Findings

• This anatomical study mapped fascial planes of the canine hindlimb and pelvis to aid superficial tumor resection.
• Type I fascia (discrete sheets) was suitable for deep margins in fascia lata, lateral crus, and gluteal regions.
• Areas with poor or absent fascia included the ischiorectal fossa, femoral triangle, stifle extensor mechanism, and pes.
• Type IV fascia associated with periosteum (e.g., patella, tibial tuberosity) required partial ostectomy for inclusion in surgical margins.
• Nerves at risk during deep dissection included obturator, superficial peroneal, and tibial nerves, particularly in regions with weak fascia.
• In males, bulbospongiosus muscle could act as a fascial plane but dissection was challenging and potentially hemorrhagic.
• In females, constrictor vulvae/vestibulae muscles were tightly associated with mucosa, limiting clean resection options.
• Distal hindlimb resections often lacked a usable fascial plane, suggesting that amputation or adjuvant therapy may be more appropriate.

🔍 Key Findings

• 73 elbows (52 dogs) underwent randomized medial or lateral transcondylar screw placement for HIF.
• Lateral-to-medial placement resulted in a significantly higher rate of complications (62.2%) vs medial-to-lateral (19.4%) (p = .001).
• Odds ratio for complications: 6.11 (95% CI: 2.13–17.52).
• Most common complications: seromas (n = 13), surgical site infections (n = 16).
• Implants with lower AMI/bodyweight were significantly associated with major complications (p = .037).
• Only 4 procedures (5%) required revision surgery (major type I complications), with no difference by screw direction.
• NNT = 2.3 for medial placement to prevent one complication.

🔍 Key Findings

• Endoscopic excisional biopsy of axillary lymph nodes was successfully performed in cadavers and clinical dogs with minimal complications.
• The technique used a SILS port and CO₂ insufflation through a small incision between the latissimus dorsi and superficial pectorals.
• In 4 cadavers (6 limbs), mean time to remove axillary nodes was 33 minutes, and single nodes were found in 5/6 limbs.
• In 3 clinical dogs, the procedure was successful in 2 cases; 1 required conversion to open surgery due to difficulty manipulating the node.
• Accessory axillary nodes were successfully excised when present, located adherent to deep latissimus dorsi.
• No cases developed lymphedema, pneumothorax, or major complications postoperatively.
• Subjective benefits included better visualization, reduced dissection, and less postoperative morbidity than open techniques.
• Study suggests MIS lymphadenectomy may improve staging accuracy and reduce complications, though larger studies are needed.

🔍 Key Findings

• Algorithm 3 had the highest overall accuracy (95.5%) in diagnosing SSIs from client questionnaires.
• Active surveillance identified 19.4% more SSIs compared to passive surveillance alone.
• SSI rate was 8.22% across 754 surgeries; 33.9% of SSIs required revision surgery.
• Client-based responses were 37.9% more frequent than those from referring veterinarians.
• Deep/implant SSIs could be missed if not associated with visible wound healing problems.
• Two late SSIs (after 90 days) occurred, both linked to implant surgeries.
• Algorithm 1 was the most sensitive (87.1%) but less specific; useful for screening.
• Algorithm 2 had the highest specificity (97.9%); useful as a “rule-in” diagnostic method.

🔍 Key Findings

• Accurate femoral isometric placement was achieved in 63% of cases, significantly more with SwiveLock (78.6%) than FASTak (38.9%).
• Inaccurate placement was associated with increased internal tibial rotation at follow-up (p = .009), suggesting potential implant failure.
• Pivot shift grade improved in 90.9% of stifles postoperatively, regardless of implant positioning accuracy.
• SwiveLock implants had a faster learning curve and higher placement accuracy than FASTak.
• Higher patient weight was linked to more accurate implant placement (p = .012), likely due to easier anatomical landmark identification.
• No correlation found between implant type or positioning accuracy and final pivot shift grade at 6 weeks.
• Minor and major complications were low and not significantly different between implant types.
• A simplified 2-grade pivot shift system was proposed for clinical use (Grade 1: glide, Grade 2: clunk), aiding intraoperative decision-making.