🔍 Key Findings

• Postoperative complications occurred in 20% of stifles, including 7.5% minor, 10.3% surgical, and 3.4% medical complications.
• The PROSPECT machine-learning model achieved high predictive accuracy: 92.3% for surgical complications, 91.9% for minor, and 94.3% for medical.
• Top predictive features included surgical technique, implant type, patient age, and surgeon identity.
• Surgeon-specific variables influenced predictions, indicating operator experience and technique matter.
• Engineered interaction features (e.g., breed × implant) were more predictive than raw clinical data alone.
• Rottweiler, intact male status, and higher bodyweight were associated with increased complication risk; Labradors had decreased risk.
• Model calibration was strong, especially for high and low probability predictions; midrange predictions were less reliable.
• The model supports individualized, probabilistic risk assessment, which could inform client counseling and tailored postoperative care.

PROSPECT = Predicting Risk Of Surgical compli­cations aftEr CCWO and TPLO

🔍 Key Findings

80 toy breed dogs with surgically repaired transverse radius/ulna fractures were analyzed.
Fracture gap in the caudal cortex was present in 46% of cases.
Implant failure rate:

• 27% in cases with fracture gap
• 2% in cases without fracture gap

Fracture gap significantly associated with implant failure:

• OR = 23.0, 95% CI: 2.7–197.9, p = 0.004

Absence of external coaptation also associated with increased implant failure risk:

• OR = 10.1, 95% CI: 1.1–89.6, p = 0.04

Prolonged external coaptation (>1 week) linked to non-implant complications (skin wounds, osteopenia, osteomyelitis):

• OR = 5.4, p = 0.04

Plate thickness, type, open screw holes, and working length were not statistically significant predictors of implant failure after multivariable analysis.

🔍 Key Findings

• Study Design: Canine cadaveric study comparing intercostal thoracotomy (ICT), median sternotomy (MS), and transdiaphragmatic with caudal median sternotomy (TDCM) for accessory lung lobectomy (ALL).
• Main Outcomes:
  • Exposure Area: TDCM (193.5 cm²) > MS (106.5 cm²) > ICT (73.5 cm²) (p = .01).
  • TDCM provided significantly greater exposure than MS (p = .02) and ICT (p = .02); MS > ICT (p = .04).
  • Surgical Time: No significant difference (p = .06).
  • Lobe Excision (% by weight/surface area): No significant difference between groups (p = .4).
  • Staple Line Leak: Leak at ≤40 cmH₂O in 2/4 ICT, 0/4 MS, 0/4 TDCM (p = .09).
• Complications:
  • 1/4 MS cases had iatrogenic damage to an adjacent lobe.
• Technical Insights:
  • TDCM approach allowed immediate visualization of all three parts of the right pulmonary ligament.
  • The TDCM approach offers improved access without requiring en bloc removal with the right caudal lobe.
• Conclusion: The TDCM approach provides improved exposure for ALL lobectomy with no increase in surgical time or complications relative to other approaches.

🔍 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

• Complication rate for subdermal plexus flaps (SPFs) in dogs was 53.6%.
• Skin staples had a numerically higher complication rate (72.2%) than sutures (49.3%), but not statistically significant due to small sample size.
• Most common complication was wound dehiscence (35%), followed by seroma (14%) and wound discharge (14%).
• Increased body weight was significantly associated with higher complication risk (OR = 1.056 per kg; p = .029).
• Advancement flaps were associated with a lower incidence of complications on univariable analysis (p < .001).
• Head region flap closures had fewer complications, while proximal pelvic limb closures had the highest complication rate.
• Age was a risk factor—each additional year increased odds of complications (OR = 1.019; p = .004).
• Closure technique did not significantly influence complication severity, though staple use was numerically worse.

🔍 Key Findings

• Study Design: Canine cadaveric study comparing intercostal thoracotomy (ICT), median sternotomy (MS), and transdiaphragmatic with caudal median sternotomy (TDCM) for accessory lung lobectomy (ALL).
• Main Outcomes:
  • Exposure Area: TDCM (193.5 cm²) > MS (106.5 cm²) > ICT (73.5 cm²) (p = .01).
  • TDCM provided significantly greater exposure than MS (p = .02) and ICT (p = .02); MS > ICT (p = .04).
  • Surgical Time: No significant difference (p = .06).
  • Lobe Excision (% by weight/surface area): No significant difference between groups (p = .4).
  • Staple Line Leak: Leak at ≤40 cmH₂O in 2/4 ICT, 0/4 MS, 0/4 TDCM (p = .09).
• Complications:
  • 1/4 MS cases had iatrogenic damage to an adjacent lobe.
• Technical Insights:
  • TDCM approach allowed immediate visualization of all three parts of the right pulmonary ligament.
  • The TDCM approach offers improved access without requiring en bloc removal with the right caudal lobe.
• Conclusion: The TDCM approach provides improved exposure for ALL lobectomy with no increase in surgical time or complications relative to other approaches.

🔍 Key Findings

• Modified closed anal sacculectomy resulted in a local recurrence rate of only 2.2%, substantially lower than prior reports (18–50%).
• Postoperative complications occurred in 31.9% of dogs; most (93%) were minor, with dehiscence being the most common.
• Mean survival time in deceased dogs was 521 days; median was 388 days.
• Surgical technique included complete en bloc excision of the sac and duct with sphincter reconstruction, aiming to reduce seeding risk.
• Only one major complication resulted in euthanasia due to infection and dehiscence.
• Histologic margins were complete in 44.7% of dogs; lymphatic invasion was present in 31.9%, and vascular in 8.5%.
• Adjunctive chemotherapy was administered in 34% of dogs (mostly carboplatin); not standardized due to retrospective design.
• Routine rectal exam was key to diagnosis in 57.4% of dogs with no clinical signs, underscoring the importance of screening.

🔍 Key Findings

• Distal femoral shortening osteotomy (DFSO) enabled prosthesis reduction in all 4 dogs with irreducible luxoid hips undergoing total hip replacement.
• Median femoral shortening ratio was 13.8% (range: 10.7–15.3%) based on intraoperative tension needed for prosthesis reduction.
• Bone union was achieved in all cases post-DFSO, indicating good healing potential.
• Two major complications occurred: one prosthetic luxation and one aseptic stem loosening requiring explantation.
• One intraoperative fracture of the greater trochanter occurred during trial reduction before DFSO.
• DFSO did not result in neurovascular injury, even in cases with significant femoral head displacement (>4 cm).
• Radiographic planning with FHD index and intraoperative assessment were crucial for determining DFSO necessity.
• DFSO avoids complications linked to subtrochanteric osteotomy by preserving proximal femoral anatomy and allowing secure distal fixation.

🔍 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

• 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.