🔍 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

• COR of elbows with FMCP was significantly more caudal compared to normal elbows, based on CT-derived geometry.
• In normal elbows, 74% of medial and 93% of lateral axes exited cranial and distal to the epicondyles.
• In FMCP elbows, 81% of medial and 70% of lateral axes exited caudal and distal to the epicondyles.
• Different landmark combinations produced slightly different COR approximations, especially between humeral vs. radius/ulna-based axes.
• The medial-lateral axis using trochlea and capitulum centers provided the most consistent COR approximation.
• COR estimations based on diseased elbows may not match normal joint geometry, impacting implant alignment accuracy.
• External epicondylar landmarks may be useful intraoperatively to estimate COR location, but variability limits precision.
• Drill diameter size may buffer small COR differences, but impact in advanced disease or bilateral cases remains unclear.

🔍 Key Findings

• TA lung lobectomy was feasible in dogs ≥3 kg, including those with lesions up to 10 cm.
• 12 intraoperative complications (40%) occurred, with 6 dogs (20%) converted to open thoracotomy, mainly due to adhesions or inability to isolate lobes.
• Postoperative complications occurred in 8 dogs (27%), most were mild (63%), and only 1 death (3%) was reported.
• Median hospitalization was 47 hours; 29/30 dogs were discharged successfully.
• One-lung ventilation (OLV) was attempted in 7 dogs but successfully maintained in only 4.
• Linear staplers had shorter surgery times (median 57.5 min) than endoscopic staplers (80 min).
• Histopathology confirmed neoplasia in 77% of cases, most commonly papillary and bronchioalveolar carcinoma.
• TA lobectomy allows MIS in smaller dogs or with large lesions, avoiding need for full thoracotomy or complex anesthesia/stapling.

🔍 Key Findings

• The addition of adrenaline (0.00198%) to bilateral maxillary nerve blocks significantly reduced intraoperative hemorrhage in dogs undergoing sharp staphylectomy (median reduction: 77.1%).
• Normalized hemorrhage (g/kg) and total hemorrhage (g) were significantly lower in the adrenaline group (p = .021 and p = .013, respectively).
• Surgeon-assessed hemorrhage scores were also significantly lower in the adrenaline group (median 2 vs. 3; p = .029), indicating improved surgical visibility.
• No adverse effects (e.g. tachycardia, arrhythmia, or hypertension) were observed with adrenaline administration.
• A standardized intraoral approach to the maxillary nerve block was used with 0.5 mL per side regardless of dog size.
• Breed effect observed: English Bulldogs had higher normalized hemorrhage, possibly due to anatomical variation or underdosing relative to size.
• Adrenaline may also prolong local anesthetic action and reduce blood aspiration risks, though this was not directly measured.
• The study supports the routine inclusion of adrenaline in maxillary nerve blocks for staphylectomy in BOAS patients to improve surgical field and reduce bleeding.

🔍 Key Findings

• NAS-ILN had significantly greater stiffness in both axial compression and 4-point bending compared to LCP constructs.
• Ultimate load to failure was significantly higher for NAS-ILN in compression (804 N vs 328 N) and bending (25.7 Nm vs 16.3 Nm).
• Torsional stiffness and angular deformation were similar, but NAS-ILN resisted higher torque to failure than LCP (22.5 Nm vs 19.1 Nm).
• No slack was observed with the NAS-ILN construct, unlike older nail designs.
• Failure modes differed: LCPs failed via plate bending; NAS-ILNs failed at the implant or bone near screw holes.
• Titanium alloy and curved design of NAS-ILN provides better anatomic fit and more uniform stress distribution.
• A third, perpendicular locking hole in NAS-ILN may enhance torsional stability but was not utilized in this study.
• The curved, angle-stable design of NAS-ILN is a novel advancement in veterinary orthopedics.

🔍 Key Findings

Source: Bush et al., 2023, Veterinary Surgery

• Median survival time (MST) after surgery was 1886 days, which is significantly longer than previously reported.
• Lymph node metastasis at surgery was a negative prognostic factor, reducing MST to 248 days (vs. 2340 days without nodal involvement).
• Local recurrence occurred in 42% of dogs, with a median disease-free interval (DFI) of 191 days.
• Metastatic disease occurred in 32% of dogs, most commonly to the lungs, with a median DFI of 299 days.
• Histologic features (e.g., margin status, capsular, lymphatic, or vascular invasion) were not significantly correlated with recurrence or metastasis.
• Facial nerve injury occurred in 9.7% perioperatively, especially after parotidectomy; intraoperative facial nerve transection led to long-term deficits.
• Adjuvant therapies (chemotherapy, radiation, NSAIDs) did not significantly affect survival time.
• Incisional biopsy was only 38% concordant with final excisional histology, suggesting limited reliability for definitive diagnosis.

🔍 Key Findings

• Short working length constructs had significantly higher stiffness and lower strain than long constructs in compression bending (p = 0.0172).
• In tension bending, short constructs also had higher precontact stiffness and lower strain, but this reversed after transcortical contact (~150 N).
• Transcortical contact increased stiffness only in long constructs, producing a bilinear load-displacement curve.
• Postcontact stiffness was higher in long constructs, but this may not reflect clinical benefit due to risks of high interfragmentary strain.
• Short working length reduced strain at multiple ROIs under both loading conditions, including over fracture gap (Tables 1–3).
• Increased working length promoted stress concentration and deformation, especially in compression bending.
• In vitro benefits of long constructs (via contact stability) may not translate to healing, as repetitive loading could increase plate strain and bone resorption.
• Plate strain was effectively mapped using 3D digital image correlation, confirming regional strain differences between configurations.

🔍 Key Findings

• Overall closure-related complication rate was 14.1%, lower than previously reported (17–78%).
• No clinically meaningful difference in complication rate between orthopedic wire (17.4%) and suture (11.5%) closure methods.
• Dog size (≥20 kg) was the only significant risk factor associated with increased closure-related complications (p = .01).
• Type of closure (wire vs. suture) did not affect risk, even in larger dogs.
• Suture closure showed a non-significant trend toward fewer complications (mean reduction 2.3%, 95% CI: –9.1% to +4.5%).
• Most complications were mild (62%), with only 10 severe cases requiring surgical revision.
• Infection rate was low (2.7%), and not significantly different between wire and suture.
• Suture closure is a valid alternative to wire, including in large dogs, based on this large, multi-institutional study.

🔍 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

• 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.