🔍 Key Findings

• Both free-hand probing (FHP) and 3D-printed guides (3DPG) enabled accurate spinal pin placement, with 87.5% vs 96.4% of pins graded as optimal (Grade I).
• 3DPGs had fewer intraoperative deviations (0/56 pins) compared to 6/56 with the FHP technique.
• No pins using either method fully breached the medial vertebral canal (Grade IIb) — a critical safety outcome.
• Pins placed using 3DPGs required less time overall (mean 2.6 min) than FHP (mean 4.5 min).
• FHP required specific experience and has a learning curve, whereas 3DPG use requires CAD software and 3D printing access.
• FHP had more lateral canal violations (Grade IIIa: 4/56 vs 0/56 for 3DPG), suggesting slightly less precision.
• Both techniques were safe, and all deviations were recognized and corrected intraoperatively.
• 3DPGs may offer practical advantages in clinical settings lacking surgical expertise, while FHP allows immediate intervention without 3D printing delay.

🔍 Key Findings

• Both lateral and ventral approaches reliably permitted CCA isolation and ligation at the level of the MRLN, with or without concurrent lymphadenectomy; bilateral temporary ligation was successful in all 12 cadavers.
• The CCA was consistently dorsomedial to the MRLN, while the MRLN was medial to the caudodorsal mandibular salivary gland (MSG), providing reproducible landmarks for surgical orientation.
• Concurrent lymphadenectomy can be incorporated into the same surgical approach, permitting removal of the mandibular and medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes while gaining access to the CCA.
• Brachycephalic dogs had a significantly deeper CCA from the lateral approach than the ventral approach (44.8 ± 12.8 vs 29.3 ± 8.3 mm; p = .02), which may influence approach selection.
• No gross vascular trauma occurred after temporary CCA ligation, although careful dissection was required to avoid the adjacent vagosympathetic trunk.
• One inadvertent mandibular salivary gland capsular disruption occurred during a lateral approach without lymphadenectomy; Figure 2 demonstrates this complication and the close relationship of the MRLN, CCA, and vagosympathetic trunk.
• CCA ligation was performed at the cranial two-thirds of the MRLN, caudal to the internal carotid branching, placing the operative site near the carotid sinus and raising potential concerns for bradycardia and hypotension in live patients.
• Clinical efficacy remains unproven because this was a CT/cadaveric study; the authors specifically recommend in vivo evaluation of hemorrhage control, hemodynamic effects, and procedural complications.

🔍 Key Findings

Population: 29 Boxer dogs and 29 age-matched Labrador Retrievers undergoing TPLO.
Scoring Systems Compared: 5-point vs. 10-point radiographic healing systems.
Healing Scores (Week 8):

• Boxers: 5-point mean = 3.3; 10-point mean = 6.9
• Labradors: 5-point mean = 3.6; 10-point mean = 7.5
• → Statistically significant difference (p = 0.0003 and p < 0.0001)

Osteotomy Gap ≥1 mm (present in 16.4%): Associated with significantly lower healing scores and increased recommendations for additional radiographic follow-up (p < 0.0001).
Observer Reliability:

• Both systems = good interobserver consistency.
• Slightly better intraobserver consistency with the 10-point scale.

Clinical Implication: Boxer dogs may need extended healing time or altered follow-up strategy after TPLO.

🔍 Key Findings

• Precontoured plates using 3D-printed femoral models achieved near-anatomic alignment in all cadaver limbs.
• Fracture reduction system (FRS) required significantly fewer fluoroscopy images than intramedullary pin (IMP) methods (7 vs 26, P = .001).
• Despite longer surgical time (43 vs 29 minutes, P = .011), FRS showed equally accurate or better alignment compared to IMP.
• Femoral length, frontal, sagittal, and axial alignment were all within near-anatomic thresholds (<10 mm or <5° deviation) in both groups.
• FRS was associated with more consistent length maintenance, with IMP showing a median shortening of 2.3 mm (P = .03).
• Axial plane deviation was statistically different in the FRS group (P = .04), but still clinically acceptable.
• Study highlights potential for custom 3D-printed guides to reduce radiation exposure and improve precision in MIPO procedures.
• Authors caution that FRS was time-consuming and cumbersome, suggesting design refinements needed for clinical use.

🔍 Key Findings

• 48% of the intra-articular biceps tendon was visible at a standing angle; this increased to 63% in flexion (p = 0.0003).
• 58% of the medial glenohumeral ligament's cranial border was within view.
• 20% of the subscapularis tendon was visualized via the standard lateral arthroscopic approach.
• Visibility was assessed using tattoo ink markers and confirmed via dissection in cadavers.
• Limitations of standard lateral portals may lead to underdiagnosis of deeper or distal pathology in these structures.

🔍 Key Findings

• Locked facet injuries in dogs involved unilateral dorsal displacement of the cranial articular process of the caudal vertebra, most commonly at C5/6 or C6/7.
• All affected dogs were small/toy breeds, typically following trauma (most often attacks by larger dogs).
• Neurologic severity ranged from ambulatory tetraparesis to tetraplegia, often with thoracic limb deficits more severe than pelvic limbs — suggesting a central cord syndrome-like pattern.
• CT and MRI revealed axial rotation, subluxation, and articular process displacement; MRI showed T2 hyperintensity, nerve root impingement, and soft tissue changes.
• Surgical treatment included ventral fixation with screws, pins, and PMMA, and one case required dorsal facetectomy for reduction.
• Medical management, including external coaptation or rest, also resulted in functional recovery in select cases.
• All dogs with follow-up data (8/8) had functional recovery, with nonambulatory dogs regaining ambulation in a median of 4 weeks.
• No consistent differences in outcome were observed between surgical and nonsurgical management, suggesting locked facets may be biomechanically stable.

🔍 Key Findings

• Median BFX stem subsidence was only 0.4 mm, but values ranged from −4.1 to 9.8 mm across 177 THRs.
• Subsidence was significantly associated with stem complications (p = .005), but not with non-stem complications (p = .76) or prosthetic luxation (p = .07).
• Most stem complications were intraoperative femoral fissures (8/11), and only one fissure progressed to postoperative femoral fracture.
• Traditional subsidence thresholds of 3 mm and 5 mm poorly predicted complications; most stems exceeding these values remained complication-free.
• Large subsidence can be clinically inconsequential, with two stems demonstrating 8.8 mm and 9.8 mm of subsidence without complications.
• Canal flare index, canal fill, and stem orientation were not associated with subsidence, suggesting limited predictive value of these radiographic measurements.
• Subsidence may reflect consequences of intraoperative fissures rather than cause complications, supporting a possible reverse-causality relationship.
• Clinical interpretation of subsidence should be contextual, considering fissures, implant sizing, femoral morphology, and patient factors rather than relying on numeric cutoffs alone.

🔍 Key Findings

Objective: Determine if topical 45 mg/mL amikacin in CMC gel leads to systemic absorption in dogs with wounds.

Dogs enrolled: 11 client-owned dogs, with 31 applications of the gel.

Serum findings:

• Only 5 of 153 samples were above the 2.5 µg/mL quantification limit
• All values remained <5 µg/mL, the presumed toxicity threshold
• No correlation was found between dose-related parameters (mg, mg/kg, mg/cm²) and serum amikacin levels

Peak concentrations were observed at ~2 hours post-application, declining rapidly thereafter

No nephrotoxicity observed, and most values were below detection

Conclusion: Topical amikacin gel appears safe at doses up to 24.9 mg/kg, with minimal systemic absorption

🔍 Key Findings

• Compared unilateral plating (UP) vs orthogonal plating (OP) with 2.0, 2.4, and 3.0 mm plates (OP2.0, OP2.4, OP3.0).
• Model: acetal homopolymer (Delrin) rod with 29 mm fixed fracture gap, loaded axially (4–196 N, 90,000 cycles).
• OP constructs had 2.5–4.1x higher strength and 3.0–4.2x higher stiffness than UP constructs (p < .0002).
• UP had 3.5–4.1x higher gap strain than OP groups (p < .0075).
• All OP groups exceeded 1000 N max load before failure (vs 424 N for UP).
• Greater implant size in OP groups further increased performance.
• All constructs survived fatigue loading; 3.5 mm plates showed deformation, especially UP; OP plates remained intact.