🔍 Key Findings

Study Design: Case series of 8 dogs with confirmed or suspected PJI after total hip replacement (THR)
Dogs were categorized into:

• Curative intent (CI) group (n=5): short-duration infections, implant retention attempted
• Non-curative intent (NCI) group (n=3): chronic infections, implants scheduled for removal or revision

Success Rate: 7 of 8 dogs had infection resolution, including 4 of 5 in the CI group
Sampling sensitivity:

• Arthroscopic culture success was 80% in the CI group but only 33% in the NCI group
• All explanted implants from NCI group yielded positive cultures

Common isolates: Staphylococcus pseudointermedius (including MRSP), S. epidermidis, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and E. coli
Ancillary treatments included:

• Partial synovectomy, high-volume lavage (5–10 L), biofilm-depleting lavage, and/or amikacin-impregnated calcium sulfate beads

Mean follow-up: >1 year (mean 812 days); no signs of recurrence in successfully treated cases
Conclusions: Arthroscopic management of THR infections is feasible and effective in appropriately selected dogs. Success aligns with human literature when infection type is favorable (Type 1, 3, 4). Sensitivity of arthroscopic culture is higher in early/acute infections.

🔍 Key Findings

• Spinal stabilization with 3D-printed patient-specific drill guides (3D-PSGs) was safe, with no immediate perioperative complications reported.
• 84% of pedicle screws were optimally placed, and only 0.5% breached the spinal canal, reflecting high placement accuracy.
• 80% of dogs experienced no neurologic deterioration postoperatively, indicating reliable short-term safety.
• 3D-PSGs were accurate and reproducible, even across multiple institutions and surgeons.
• Mid-term outcomes were favorable: all dogs were ambulatory, and 90% had static or improved neurologic signs.
• 7 of 10 mid-term follow-ups showed abnormal gait, though owners rated lifestyle ≥3/5, suggesting acceptable function.
• 3D-printed guides enabled precise pedicle screw placement in deformed vertebrae, expanding options in small breeds.
• One dog suffered a T4 spinous process fracture due to overextension of PMMA cement, emphasizing the need for cement placement caution.

🔍 Key Findings Summary

• Primary 3.5-mm LCP used with short (SWL), medium (MWL), and long (LWL) working lengths
• Addition of orthogonal 2.7-mm LCP resulted in:
  • Significantly higher bending stiffness for SWL, MWL, and LWL (p < 0.0001)
  • Higher torsional stiffness for MWL and LWL (not for SWL)
  • Significantly lower strain across all working lengths in bending (p < 0.01)
• Working length inversely related to construct stiffness and directly to plate strain
• Orthogonal plates eliminated stiffness differences across working lengths in bending
• Suggests orthogonal plates can improve implant fatigue life and allow compensation when short working lengths are unachievable

🔍 Key Findings

• Medial meniscus injury (MMI) occurred in 36.3% of stifles with CrCLR in toy breed dogs (<5 kg)
• Complete CrCLR was significantly associated with MMI (15.3% of complete vs. 3.4% of partial)
• Severe lameness (grade 3) increased the likelihood of MMI compared to mild lameness (grade 1)
• Higher body weight, even within the toy breed range, was positively associated with MMI
• Yorkshire Terriers had the highest MMI incidence (55.6%), but this was not a significant independent factor due to multicollinearity
• Arthroscopy identified more meniscal damage (including small radial tears and bucket-handle lesions) than gross examination might detect
• MMI was classified as mild (radial tear) or severe (bucket-handle or flap) with implications for partial meniscectomy
• Arthroscopy was used in all cases, underscoring its utility in small-breed stifle assessment

🔍 Key Findings

139 immature dogs with humeral condylar fractures (HCF) reviewed retrospectively.
Postoperative plan changed in 17% (23/139) of cases.
Key risk factors for plan change:

• Owner concerns (OR: 7.6)
• Analgesic use at follow-up (OR: 7.9)
• Lameness (OR: 5.9)
• Abnormal clinical exam (OR: 44.8)
• Radiographic abnormalities (OR: 51.9)

No plan changes were based solely on radiographs when clinical signs were absent.
Supracondylar K-wire migration noted in 3.5% of dogs without affecting the clinical plan.
Authors conclude that routine follow-up radiographs offer limited value without concurrent clinical indicators.

🔍 Key Findings

• Both patient-specific and universal guides yielded correction errors <2°, with no statistically significant difference in accuracy.
• Universal guide corrected aLDFA up to 24° and AA up to 20°, addressing multiplanar deformities effectively.
• Patient-specific guides allowed for preoperative simulation, providing more stable pin placement and potentially aiding less-experienced surgeons.
• Universal guide eliminated the need for CT-based customization, reducing time and cost.
• Cadaver and bone model trials showed consistent accuracy, validating both methods in vitro and ex vivo.
• No significant differences in outcome when correcting uniplanar (aLDFA) vs biplanar (aLDFA + AA) deformities.
• Universal guide's fixed size presented limitations in small dogs, potentially requiring multiple size options.
• Universal guide showed potential for standard use, offering repeatable outcomes with minimal prep despite needing precise intraoperative placement.

🔍 Key Findings

140 laparoscopic surgeons surveyed; 37% reported at least one musculoskeletal disorder.
Women had significantly higher odds of reporting WRMD (OR = 2.59, p = .011).
Smaller glove size significantly associated with WRMD (p = .001), shoulder tendonitis (p = .01), and neck strain (p = .001).
Most common injuries: Neck strain (35%), shoulder tendonitis (31%).
WRMD was associated with greater difficulty using:

• Rotating cup biopsy forceps (p < .001)
• Vessel sealing device and endo stapler (especially in those with shoulder injuries)

No significant association with surgeon age, dominant hand, height, weight, or case volume.

🔍 Key Findings

• TPA decreased significantly from preoperative to follow-up (mean 5.89°; p < 0.001), and from immediate postoperative to follow-up (mean 2.2°; p = 0.018)
• Use of tension band in addition to K-wires did not significantly improve TPA reduction compared to K-wires alone
• Cranial K-wire positioning may attenuate growth at the cranial tibial physis, allowing relative caudal growth to reduce TPA over time
• Dynamic TPA reduction may reduce risk of cranial cruciate ligament rupture even when initial TPA is high
• Small breeds (e.g., French Bulldogs) were overrepresented; further research is needed in larger breeds with more growth potential
• Surgical reduction is difficult, but perfect alignment may not be essential if TPA reduces postoperatively
• Radiographic TPA measurement was reliably performed with low interobserver variability
• K-wire removal at 3–8 weeks may facilitate continued growth in growing dogs

🔍 Key Findings

• Dogs with MPL had significantly shallower femoral trochlear grooves compared to controls, based on CT-measured femoral trochlear groove angle (FTGA).
• FTGA >134° in small breeds (SB) and >128° in medium/large breeds (MLB) were associated with MPL and can serve as surgical thresholds for considering trochleoplasty.
• FTA and FTRIA measurements were less reliable, showing lower sensitivity/specificity than FTGA.
• Inter-rater reliability for FTGA was excellent (ICC > 0.9), supporting its use in clinical decision-making.
• FTGA differed significantly between SB and MLB dogs, suggesting anatomical variation influences MPL predisposition.
• Dogs with MPL but with FTGA below threshold may not benefit from trochleoplasty, supporting individualized surgical planning.
• CT provides more precise and reproducible evaluation of trochlear morphology than radiography or ultrasound.
• The study introduces a CT protocol using P25 and P50 reference points for consistent FTGA measurement.

🔍 Key Findings

• The study was a historic case-control trial comparing custom 3D-printed VSP-guided MIPO (3D-MIPO) to conventional MIPO (c-MIPO) in dogs with diaphyseal tibial fractures.
• Surgical time was significantly shorter in the 3D-MIPO group (117 min vs. 151 min; p = .014), and fluoroscopy use was dramatically reduced (11 vs. 37 images; p < .001).
• All 3D-MIPO reductions were acceptable or near-anatomic; 2 c-MIPO dogs had unacceptable reductions.
• Tibial length, frontal, and sagittal alignment post-op were similar between groups; no significant difference in anatomic restoration (p > .1).
• Radiographic union occurred in all dogs by 3 months. Time to union was similar between groups (3D-MIPO: 67 days vs. c-MIPO: 53 days; p = .207).
• Postoperative complication rate was higher in 3D-MIPO (27% vs. 14%), including 2 major infections requiring implant removal.
• 3D-MIPO required more pre-op time (~23 hours longer from presentation to surgery; p = .002), partly due to guide printing/sterilization.
• Improved surgical efficiency and more consistent reductions were noted in the 3D-MIPO group, supporting its clinical utility despite increased pre-op logistics.