🔍 Key Findings

• A patient-specific dorsal implant for atlantoaxial stabilization was developed using CT-based 3D modeling, enabling customized implant design and safe screw trajectory planning.
• The implant accommodates six 1.7-mm bicortical locking screws, including two transarticular screws plus two screws in each vertebra (atlas lateral masses and axis lamina/spinous base).
• The implant also functions as a drilling guide, allowing the screw-head housing to accept a threaded drill guide that ensures accurate drilling along predefined safe corridors.
• An opening around the C1–C2 intervertebral foramen was incorporated to avoid injury to the C2 nerve root during dorsal instrumentation.
• Finite element analysis evaluated implant behavior under flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and torsion using loads of 50 N (physiologic) and 107 N (supraphysiologic).
• Maximum stress occurred during lateral flexion with axis fixation (425 MPa), which remained well below the titanium alloy yield strength of 880 MPa, indicating no mechanical failure.
• Maximum implant displacement was minimal (0.13 mm), far less than the approximately 2 mm movement of the intact atlantoaxial joint under physiologic loading.
• The implant design demonstrated adequate rigidity and mechanical safety in simulation, suggesting potential to improve dorsal stabilization while avoiding complications associated with PMMA constructs.

🔍 Key Findings

• Ventricular fibrillation (VF) occurred in 3% of pericardiectomy cases across reporting institutions.
• 14 of 16 dogs (88%) that developed intraoperative VF died, indicating high mortality.
• Electrosurgical devices were used in 15/16 dogs; VF onset coincided with their use in 8 dogs, suggesting a potential but unproven association.
• Preoperative arrhythmias were seen in 7 dogs (e.g., VPCs, VT, bradycardia), possibly serving as early warning signs.
• Thoracoscopic approach was used in 75% of cases; however, conversion to open surgery was required in 9/13 thoracoscopic procedures after VF onset.
• Defibrillation was attempted in 13 dogs, but only 3 converted to sinus rhythm, and only 2 survived postoperatively.
• VF may result from stray current or cardiac manipulation; bipolar energy devices were implicated despite lower theoretical risk.
• Preventative strategies include judicious electrosurgery use, close ECG monitoring, rapid CPR preparedness, and preop cardiac risk assessment.

🔍 Key Findings

• Augmenting FEESA with two simple interrupted crotch sutures (TCS) or simple continuous crotch suture (SCCS) significantly increased initial leakage pressure (ILP) compared to no suture or a single suture (NCS, SICS).
• SCCS had the highest ILP (47.6 mm Hg), followed by TCS (37.8 mm Hg), SICS (33.0 mm Hg), and NCS (27.1 mm Hg).
• All crotch suture types increased maximal leakage pressure (MLP) compared to no crotch suture.
• Leakage from the crotch occurred most commonly in NCS (67%) and SICS (50%), but only 8% with TCS and 0% with SCCS.
• SCCS was the only technique where leakage never occurred at the crotch site.
• SCCS had the highest MLP (100.6 mm Hg), supporting its use in clinical settings with high-risk patients.
• Intraluminal pressures during leakage in NCS constructs were sometimes below normal physiologic pressures, emphasizing risk of leakage without crotch suture.
• The transverse staple line never leaked in any group, indicating the crotch is the primary weak point.

🔍 Key Findings

• TPLO alone failed to neutralize rotational instability under tibial pivot compression (TPT), despite a negative TCT.
• TPLO combined with lateral augmentation (TPLO-IB) restored both craniocaudal and rotational stability to near-intact levels.
• Cranial tibial translation was 6× greater after TPLO vs intact stifles when tested with TPT (p < .001).
• No significant difference in cranial tibial translation or internal rotation between intact stifles and TPLO-IB group during TCT, eTPT, or iTPT.
• TPLO-IB did not overconstrain the stifle, avoiding excessive external rotation.
• External tibial rotation (eTPT) was more sensitive than TCT in detecting persistent instability after TPLO.
• Excellent intraobserver reliability for both eTPT and iTPT (ICC > 0.9).
• Study supports intraoperative use of TPT to identify cases needing additional rotational stabilization.

🔍 Key Findings

• CCT surgery was performed in 80 dogs (89 limbs) across five referral centers in a retrospective cohort study evaluating surgical treatment outcomes.
• Tendon repair with tarsocrural immobilization was the most common treatment (51.7%), followed by pantarsal arthrodesis (36%) and immobilization without repair (12.3%).
• The three-loop pulley was the most frequently used tendon repair suture pattern (41.3%) among repaired tendons.
• Overall complication rates did not differ significantly between tendon repair (56.5%) and pantarsal arthrodesis (42.8%) (p = .543).
• Catastrophic complications were significantly higher after tendon repair with immobilization (26.1%) compared with pantarsal arthrodesis (0%) (p = .005).
• Temporary tarsocrural immobilization (with or without tendon repair) was associated with higher revision surgery risk than pantarsal arthrodesis.
• Median referral follow-up time was 10 weeks (range 6–256 weeks).
• Long-term owner outcomes (LOAD questionnaire) showed no difference in mildly affected dogs among surgical groups (p = .493).

🔍 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

• DPO improved joint congruity and clinical signs in dogs ≥10 months old with minimal osteoarthritis.
• Median Norberg angle increased by 21.8% 1 year postoperatively (from 87° to 106°; p < .01).
• Femoral head coverage increased significantly, with PC rising 66.7% and LHC by 162.5% at 1 year (p < .01).
• No significant change in pelvic canal width postoperatively, suggesting pelvic conformation was preserved.
• All ilial osteotomies healed with complete osseous bridging by 8 weeks; 7/11 pubic osteotomies achieved full healing.
• No intraoperative or postoperative complications were reported, including implant failure.
• Locking plates and additional ventral plating were used in select cases and may have contributed to implant stability.
• DPO may be extended to older dogs with suitable hip morphology and minimal OA, expanding traditional age criteria.

🔍 Key Findings

Mortality rate: 36% (12/33)
Cholecystectomy performed: 94% of dogs (31/33)
New significant prognostic factors for survival:

• Hyperbilirubinemia (p = .049) — threshold = 60.5 μmol/L
• Use of vasopressors (p = .002)
• Renal dysfunction postoperatively (p = .008)
• Number of postoperative complications (p = .005)

Multivariate model: Total bilirubin and number of complications best predicted survival
Septic vs nonseptic effusion: No significant difference in survival
Diagnostic imaging: Ultrasound sensitivity for extrahepatic biliary rupture = 38%
Most cultured pathogen: E. coli (80% of septic cases)

🔍 Key Findings

• Each PLC significantly increased passive range of motion (ROM) in the sagittal and dorsal planes (p < .05).
• No significant change was observed in rotational ROM after either PLC.
• First PLC increased sagittal ROM by 2.4° (23% increase); second PLC added 1.0° (8% increase).
• Dorsal ROM increased by 2.3° after first PLC and 1.5° after second PLC.
• Second PLC did not cause greater destabilization than the first — both contributed similarly to ROM increase.
• Failure testing showed that spinal segments with two PLCs failed at 13 Nm, while native spines withstood up to 25 Nm, suggesting reduced load-bearing capacity but not clinically significant under normal conditions.
• Rotational stability was preserved, possibly due to intact facet joints and lamina, which play a larger role in rotation.
• Study supports the clinical feasibility of two consecutive PLCs, but cautions against excessive bone removal due to potential for spinal instability.

🔍 Key Findings

• Bone-to-tendon plate fixation allowed successful stabilization of a highly comminuted calcaneus fracture in a dog with fragments too small for traditional fixation.
• The plate was sutured to the common calcaneal tendon using a figure-of-8 pattern, bypassing the need for screw fixation into small proximal fragments.
• Radiographic union was achieved by 17 weeks, though considered delayed, with the dog returning to normal function by 36 weeks post-op.
• A second surgery was required to replace the tendon-anchored plate with a calcaneus-only plate due to skin ulceration and implant prominence.
• Implant-associated infection was suspected; cultures confirmed Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, managed with doxycycline and clindamycin.
• Use of human placental matrix (hPM) and both autogenous and allogenic bone grafts supported healing, though their specific contribution remains uncertain.
• Postoperative complications included delayed union and skin ulceration, emphasizing challenges of implant design and soft tissue management.
• This is the first report of using a bone-to-tendon plate for a calcaneus fracture in dogs and demonstrates its potential in cases where traditional methods are not viable.