🔍 Key Findings

• Algorithm 3 had the highest overall accuracy (95.5%) in diagnosing SSIs from client questionnaires.
• Active surveillance identified 19.4% more SSIs compared to passive surveillance alone.
• SSI rate was 8.22% across 754 surgeries; 33.9% of SSIs required revision surgery.
• Client-based responses were 37.9% more frequent than those from referring veterinarians.
• Deep/implant SSIs could be missed if not associated with visible wound healing problems.
• Two late SSIs (after 90 days) occurred, both linked to implant surgeries.
• Algorithm 1 was the most sensitive (87.1%) but less specific; useful for screening.
• Algorithm 2 had the highest specificity (97.9%); useful as a “rule-in” diagnostic method.

🔍 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.

🔍 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

• 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

• 20 cats with pelvic fractures treated with SOP plates and cortical screws
• Full function reported in all patients per FMPI follow-up
• Screw loosening in 3/20 SOP cases; implant removal in 3 cats
• Median sacral index decrease at follow-up: 5.7%; mostly mild narrowing
• Complications: 5 major (3 SOP removals, 2 trochanter osteotomy issues); 20 minor
• SOP plate shown feasible even in challenging configurations; good functional outcomes

🔍 Key Findings

• Single-port laparoscopic-assisted cryptorchidectomy (SP-LAC) was feasible in 13/14 dogs with abdominal cryptorchidism.
• Median surgical time was 17 min for unilateral and 27 min for bilateral cryptorchidectomy.
• All testes were successfully exteriorized through a 15-mm mini-celiotomy in most dogs; only 2 needed slight enlargement.
• One major complication occurred (testicular artery hemorrhage, requiring conversion to open surgery).
• Two minor complications involved trocar-related issues (splenic capsule laceration, capnoretroperitoneum).
• No incisional complications were reported postoperatively; some dogs had mild dermatitis at the clipped site.
• The technique requires only one surgeon and no advanced tools beyond a single-port endoscope.
• Low-pressure capnoperitoneum (6 mmHg) was adequate for visualization in most cases.

🔍 Key Findings

• Liposomal bupivacaine (LB) infiltration did not reduce the need for rescue analgesia compared with placebo in dogs undergoing TPLO.
• CMPS-SF pain scores were not significantly different between LB and placebo groups at any postoperative time point.
• % body weight distribution (%BWdist) to the operated limb did not differ significantly between treatment groups across all time points.
• No correlation was found between CMPS-SF scores and %BWdist, suggesting these metrics assess different aspects of postoperative pain.
• Postoperative carprofen administration was standardized, and LB did not provide additional detectable analgesic benefit.
• Three-layer infiltration technique (joint capsule, fascia, subcutis) was used consistently across all cases.
• Adverse events were minor and comparable between LB and placebo groups.
• Post hoc analysis suggested a much larger sample size (58–436 dogs) would be needed to detect significant differences in %BWdist.

🔍 Key Findings

• No statistically significant difference in overall SSI rates: 9.2% (chlorhexidine) vs. 7.38% (iodophor) (p = .25).
• Significant drape lift occurred in 13.2% of cases; those with lift had 2.72× increased risk of SSI (p = .026).
• Increased body weight was a statistically significant risk factor for SSI (p = .008): each 1 kg increased SSI risk by 3%.
• Use of glutaraldehyde was associated with a 2.38× increased risk of SSI (p = .055, approaching significance).
• No difference in SSI rates based on surgeon training level or surgical classification (clean, clean-contaminated, contaminated).

🔍 Key Findings

• Electroceutical dressing (PED) promoted complete healing of chronic wounds in both a dog and a cat previously unresponsive to standard therapies.
• Infection clearance occurred in both animals by the end of PED therapy, as shown by negative culture results.
• In the dog, wound area reduced by ~4.2× over 10 days; healing completed by day 67 with no further antibiotic therapy.
• In the cat, wound area reduced by ~2.5× over 17 days; healing completed by day 47 without systemic antibiotics.
• PEDs function via direct current (DC) stimulation, believed to generate hypochlorous acid (HOCl) with antibacterial properties.
• No side effects or adverse tissue reactions were observed in either case, supporting biocompatibility.
• Multidrug-resistant organisms (e.g., S. pseudintermedius, S. canis, S. epidermidis) were eradicated by PED treatment.
• PED therapy may reduce reliance on antibiotics and surgery, offering a novel adjunct for chronic, infected wounds.

🔍 Key Findings

Objective: Validate a new 3D CT-based method for measuring tibial torsion in dogs with MPL, comparing it to a traditional method.

Sample: 40 tibiae from client-owned dogs with MPL (primarily small-breed).

Repeatability (intraobserver):

• New method: ICC = 0.99 → excellent agreement

Reproducibility (interobserver):

• New method: ICC = 0.83 → high agreement
• Traditional method: ICC = 0.52 → moderate agreement

Torsion angle measurements:

• New method avg: 16.00° ± 8.77
• Traditional method avg: 8.76° ± 4.92

Conclusion: The new method is more repeatable, reproducible, and provides higher torsion values than the traditional Aper method, especially reliable for small-breed dogs.