🔍 Key Findings

• Study population: 36 brachycephalic dogs (20 French bulldogs, 16 pugs).
• Objective: Compare intra- and interobserver reliability for fluoroscopic measurement of nasopharyngeal collapse using two methods:
  • Functional method
  • Anatomically adjusted method
• Key measurements: Minimum (LMin), maximum (LMax) dorsoventral height, and dynamic change ratio (ΔL).
• Outcomes:
  • Intraobserver agreement for ΔL was higher with the functional method (ICC 0.751 vs. 0.576).
  • Observer 1 (radiologist) showed excellent repeatability (>0.9 ICC).
  • Agreement for grading collapse was only moderate (κ ~0.49–0.53), worse than ΔL-based agreement.
  • ΔL ≥ 0.5 to <1 = partial collapse; ΔL = 1 = complete collapse.

🔍 Key Findings

• Objective: Evaluate feasibility and accuracy of 3D-printed patient-specific drill guides for iliosacral screw placement in cadaver dogs.
• N = 10 canine cadavers (20 hemipelves); screw placement done using fluoroscopic-assisted patient-specific guides (PSG).
• Median cortical breach grade: 0 (IQR 0–1) for all screws.
  19/20 screws breached sacral canal wall (all ≤ grade 2), but no screws breached canal contents (grade 3).
• Median trajectory deviation: 0.88° transverse, 0.72° dorsal.
• Procedure time: Median 7.2 minutes for guide placement and drilling.
• Conclusions: PSG-assisted screw placement was safe, accurate, and fast, offering clinical potential in pelvic trauma.

🔍 Key Findings

• Zurich mini-cementless THA was successful in 9/10 hips in dogs <4 kg, with no lameness at 52 weeks in completed cases.
• Helsinki Chronic Pain Index significantly improved from a mean of 19.8 to 2.3 at 52 weeks (p = 0.0141).
• Fluoroscopy improved implant positioning, especially in LCPD and HD cases, aiding in accurate reaming and alignment.
• Intraoperative complications occurred in 2/10 cases, including acetabular fractures; one case required discontinuation.
• Prophylactic bicortical screws and reinforcement plates were used in cases with rotational instability or cortical compromise and were effective in preventing loosening/fractures.
• Medial patellar luxation improved postoperatively in one dog, though recurrence was noted later without surgical correction.
• No stem or implant loosening or fracture occurred over a mean follow-up of 24.4 months.
• CT is recommended in preoperative planning, particularly in luxoid hip dysplasia cases with uncertain bone stock.

🔍 Key Findings

• This study evaluated whether high-fidelity surgical simulator training improved live animal and student outcomes in a feline OHE teaching lab involving 186 cats and 146 students.
• Simulator training significantly improved surgical performance and outcomes:
  • Live surgery was 6 minutes shorter on average in the SIM group vs. NO-SIM (115 ± 21 min vs. 121 ± 16 min, p = .04).
  • Pain scores ≥5/20 occurred in 1% of SIM group cats vs. 15% of NO-SIM group cats (p < .01).
  • Rescue analgesia was needed less frequently in the SIM group (5% vs. 15%, p = .03).
  • Student confidence was significantly higher in the SIM group (median 7/10 vs. 6/10, p < .01).
• The simulator used a realistic abdominal model with friable tissues and required performance of a full OHE procedure.
• The study design was nonrandomized, grouped by class year, with limitations including lack of blinding during pain assessment in year two.
• Authors concluded that pre-lab simulator competency improves both animal welfare and student confidence, recommending it as a prerequisite for live surgical training.

🔍 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

• 14 joints from 7 cat cadavers underwent AA-HTS successfully.
• Median surgical time: 46.5 min (29–144), including 7 min for arthroscopy and 40 min for toggle placement.
• Intraoperative complications in 5/14 joints: 4 related to femoral tunnel creation, 1 toggle lodging.
• Toggle passage through femoral tunnel was the most challenging step, mildly difficult in 6 joints.
• Cartilage injury occurred in 10 joints, but all were minor (<10% of cartilage area).
• 13 deviations from planned technique were identified (8 major, 5 minor), all involving femoral tunnel placement.
• No neurovascular, intrapelvic, or major periarticular injuries occurred.
• Authors conclude: AA-HTS is feasible in cats, but associated with high rates of minor iatrogenic cartilage damage, intra-op complications, and technique deviations.

🔍 Key Findings Summary

• 16 dogs (18 stifles) with CrCL rupture and TPA >34° were treated using the DCTPLO
• Mean TPA correction: from 39.4° to 6.3°
• Bone union at 60 days in 17/18 stifles; remaining healed by 90 days
• Minor complications (e.g., small wedge gaps) in 2/18 stifles — no major complications
• Patellar ligament thickening seen in 16/18 stifles but no clinical signs noted
• The technique enabled safer reduction with less risk of tibial crest fracture vs. conventional TPLO

🔍 Key Findings

• Tibial plateau fractures (TPF) are rare in dogs, but can be surgically stabilized with good outcomes even in complex trauma cases.
• Lateral TPFs (Unger type 41-B1) were approached via caudolateral arthrotomy, with elevation of the lateral meniscus for visualization and use of lag screws and K-wires for fixation.
• Medial TPF (Unger type 41-B2) was addressed via medial parapatellar approach using K-wires and a figure-of-eight tension band.
• One minor complication occurred: implant yield at 2 weeks in a case with a concurrent fibular fracture, resulting in a 0.8 mm step defect.
• No major complications were recorded, and all dogs achieved clinical union with full function by 8–10 weeks.
• Long-term owner-reported outcomes (LOAD scores) were excellent (5/52), indicating minimal osteoarthritis or chronic pain.
• Concurrent fibular fractures may increase risk of implant failure and should influence implant selection (e.g., considering buttress plating).
• Arthroscopic-assisted techniques may be applicable in select cases, but open reduction was preferred due to fragment displacement or concurrent injuries.

🔍 Key Findings

• Intra- and postoperative complications occurred only in stapled lobectomies, but the difference was not statistically significant (intra: p = .069, post: p = .112).
• Intraoperative hemorrhage was the most common complication (11.8%), followed by air leakage (2%).
• All self-ligating loop (SLL) lobectomies had zero complications (n=18), though the sample was small.
• Postoperative complications included 4 catastrophic events (cardiopulmonary arrest), all in stapled cases.
• Lung lobectomy technique was not associated with duration of chest tube use, hospitalization, or survival (p > .05).
• 94.3% of patients survived to discharge (82/87).
• SLLs are lower-cost and may be more feasible for thoracoscopic/minimally invasive approaches due to smaller port size (5mm vs. 12mm for staplers).
• A future superiority study would need ≥103 lobectomies per group to assess differences in complication rates.

🔍 Key Findings

• Endoscopic-assisted retrograde catheterization (EARC) and laser sphincterotomy were successful in 18/18 cadavers, demonstrating technical feasibility.
• Intramural common bile duct (ICBD) length ranged from 10 to 21 mm (mean 15.8 mm), with no correlation to body weight (r = 0.06, p = .79).
• Transition from ICBD to extramural duct was accurately identified endoscopically in 88% (16/18); transition was heralded by separation of the submucosal layer.
• Partial lateral perforations occurred in 2/18 dogs, only during early learning phase; no leakage was found on open dissection.
• Laser sphincterotomy preserved the pancreatic duct orifice, aided by protective catheter positioning.
• Compared to open duodenotomy, this technique allows for a smaller incision and less manipulation of the pancreas, which may reduce morbidity.
• No adverse events such as intra-abdominal saline egress or full-thickness perforation occurred, and the technique allowed safe access up to 10 mm from the MDP.
• Cadaveric limitations included absence of biliary pathology and inability to evaluate live complications, but the technique shows promise for future live animal trials.