🔍 Key Findings Summary

• Retrospective study of 33 fractures in 31 cats with Salter–Harris I or II distal femoral fractures
• Used 1 intramedullary Steinmann pin + 1 laterally placed antirotational pin
• 96.9% achieved full functional outcome at mid-term follow-up
• No implant migration or removal required
• Minor complications: 2 seromas; Major: 3 (patellar luxation [2], osteomyelitis [1])
• Growth plate remained open in 27.3% of cases at 6–8 weeks post-op

🔍 Key Findings Summary

• 3 dogs developed permanent fibular nerve dysfunction following TPLO
• Common findings:
  • Drill hole or screw in caudal tibial cortex just distal to osteotomy
  • Caudal malpositioning of TPLO plate (esp. right limb of case 3)
  • Post-op signs: cranial tibial atrophy, knuckling, exaggerated gait, no hock flexion
• One case had confirmed deep/superficial fibular neuropathy via electrodiagnostics
• Recommended prevention: avoid overly caudal drill paths; careful gait assessment at follow-up is key

🔍 Key Findings

Internal fixation (IF) group (n=59):

• Complication rate: 20.3%
• Major complications: 15.3%
• Longer time to discharge if complications occurred (median: 12.5 weeks)

External skeletal fixation (ESF) group (n=36):

• Complication rate: 55.6% (p < .001 vs IF)
• Major complications: 52.8%
• Most common issue: pin tract morbidity

Multivariable analysis:

• Use of IF significantly reduced odds of complications (OR 0.23, p = .004)
• Use of post-op antibiotics associated with increased odds of complications (OR 3.53, p = .028)

Fixation choice influenced by age:

• Older puppies more likely to receive IF (OR 1.25 per week increase in age, p < .001)

Breed & fracture distribution:

• Common breeds: Labrador, Border Collie, Whippet
• Common fracture sites: middle and proximal third of tibia

🔍 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

• Major complications occurred in 25.6% of limbs treated with PAUL, including non-union, implant failure, and infection requiring revision surgery.
• Increased body weight was significantly associated with a higher risk of complications (7% increased risk per additional kg; p = .04).
• Post-operative radiographic assessment was unreliable in predicting complications; inter-observer agreement was poor (kappa ≤ 0.12).
• Expert evaluation of implant or reduction errors had low predictive value (k < 0.2) for postoperative complications.
• Common major complications included non-union (6 limbs), screw breakage, and surgical site infections.
• Implant removal was required in 11.5% of limbs, mostly due to non-union or infection.
• Being a Labrador appeared protective on univariate analysis, but not on multivariate analysis after adjusting for weight.
• Radiographs showing suboptimal plate placement or osteotomy reduction did not reliably correlate with actual complication occurrence.

🔍 Key Findings

Study size: 105 dogs (73 ORPS; 32 MIPO)

MIPO vs ORPS differences:

• Surgical time: MIPO median 130 min vs ORPS 85 min (p < .001)
• Explant rate: MIPO 25% vs ORPS 4.1% (p = .003)
• Time to clinical union: MIPO 85 days vs ORPS 57 days (p = .010)
• Frontal alignment deviation: MIPO 3.5° vs ORPS 2.0° (p = .047)
• Comminution more frequent in MIPO (41% vs 16%; p = .012)

Significant predictors for MIPO use: More proximal fracture margin (p = .004), surgeon identity (p < .001)

No significant difference: Sagittal alignment, radial length, union rate, or complication rate by surgeon

Implant preference: Fixin plates used in 84% of MIPO; locking plates more common in ORPS

🔍 Key Findings

• Plate–Pin TTT fixation resolved MPL in 64/65 stifles with low recurrence (1.5%) and good lameness outcomes postoperatively.
• Complication rate was 21.5% (14/65 stifles), mostly minor (57%); major issues included pin migration, fracture, or capsular failure.
• Pin-related issues accounted for 8 of 20 total complications, highlighting implant refinement is needed.
• No avulsions, TT fixation failures, or luxation recurrence occurred in cases where surgical technique was followed precisely.
• Surgical deviations increased complication risk 11.3× (p < 0.05), suggesting adherence to protocol is critical.
• Single-session bilateral MPL surgery had comparable complication rate (3/20) to unilateral surgery (11/45).
• Screw breakage occurred in 3 cases, suggesting at least 3 screws may be needed for secure TT fixation.
• Authors suggest temporary pin fixation and later removal may reduce complications, though prospective studies are needed.

🔍 Key Findings

• Total complication rate was 16.7%, with 5/30 hips experiencing major complications, mostly related to the femoral component.
• Cup-associated complications were rare (3.3%), with only one case of acetabular cup luxation attributed to surgical technique rather than implant failure.
• No cases of late aseptic loosening were observed during a median follow-up of 17.5 months.
• Implant stability was attributed to the SCSL's porous, trabecular titanium surface, enhancing osseointegration.
• Three femoral stem fractures occurred in a single dog, leading to implant removal; material testing was not performed.
• Most complications were femoral in origin (6/7), not acetabular, suggesting improved performance of the SCSL.
• Explantation rate was 13% (4/30), but some removals were due to owner preference against revision.
• Subjective functional outcome was full recovery in 26/30 hips, including one with successful revision of stem subsidence.

🔍 Key Findings

• Both patient-specific and universal guides yielded correction errors <2°, with no statistically significant difference in accuracy.
• Universal guide corrected aLDFA up to 24° and AA up to 20°, addressing multiplanar deformities effectively.
• Patient-specific guides allowed for preoperative simulation, providing more stable pin placement and potentially aiding less-experienced surgeons.
• Universal guide eliminated the need for CT-based customization, reducing time and cost.
• Cadaver and bone model trials showed consistent accuracy, validating both methods in vitro and ex vivo.
• No significant differences in outcome when correcting uniplanar (aLDFA) vs biplanar (aLDFA + AA) deformities.
• Universal guide's fixed size presented limitations in small dogs, potentially requiring multiple size options.
• Universal guide showed potential for standard use, offering repeatable outcomes with minimal prep despite needing precise intraoperative placement.

🔍 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.