Quiz Question
In Mullins 2023 et al., on thoracolumbar pin placement, what was a key **limitation** of the FHP technique noted in the study?
🔍 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.
Veterinary Surgery
5
2023
Accuracy of pin placement in the canine thoracolumbar spine using a free-hand probing technique versus 3D-printed patient-specific drill guides: An ex-vivo study
2023-5-VS-mullins-4
In Lomas 2025 et al., on hybrid THR in cats, what technique was used intraoperatively to correct medial patellar luxation seen after implant reduction?
🔍 Key Findings
- Hybrid THR in cats showed no major complications across 17 hips in 15 cats, including 2 bilateral cases.
- Postoperative radiographs confirmed stable implant positioning with no loosening, migration, or dislocation in follow-up imaging.
- Mean owner satisfaction was high, with a mean short-form feline musculoskeletal pain index (sf-FMPI) score of 2/36 at a mean follow-up of 438 days.
- SCFE (slipped capital femoral epiphysis) was the most common indication, seen in 13/17 hips.
- Partial tenotomy of rectus femoris origin resolved intraoperative medial patella luxation in 3 cases—no cats required surgical correction later.
- A micro BFX cup allowed for increased acetabular offset, possibly reducing luxation risk even when using a +0 femoral head offset.
- Hybrid THR was successfully used as a revision for failed CFX THR due to recurrent luxation—implants remained stable post-revision.
- Use of oversized cups (12 mm) with shallow seating or medial breach still resulted in stable outcomes, suggesting good implant fixation even with reduced bone stock.
Veterinary Surgery
6
2025
Medium‐term outcomes of hybrid total hip arthroplasty in cats: Cemented femoral stem and cementless acetabular cup in 17 hips (2020–2023)
2025-6-VS-lomas-2
In Thibault 2023 et al., on DPO for THR luxation, what was the most common long-term outcome observed after performing DPO to manage craniodorsal luxation in dogs?
2023-8-VS-thibault-1
In Perry 2025 et al., on I-Loc fracture fixation, which complication rate was observed?
🔍 Key Findings
- High union rate with low complications was achieved using the I-Loc angle-stable interlocking nail across 243 canine long-bone fractures.
- Mean time to clinical union was 8.3 weeks, faster than many historical plate-rod or non-angle-stable nail reports.
- Major complications occurred in only 5.3% and minor complications in 9.1% of cases.
- Most fractures were diaphyseal (75%) and comminuted (62%), demonstrating effectiveness in complex fracture patterns.
- Ancillary implants were uncommon (21%), mainly used in epi-/metaphyseal fractures or for anatomic reconstruction.
- Postoperative missed bolt rate was very low (0.94%), reflecting improved targeting accuracy.
- Open fractures carried a substantially higher risk of SSI and implant removal compared with closed fractures.
- Prebending of tibial nails was strongly recommended to follow natural recurvatum and avoid iatrogenic alignment errors.
Veterinary Surgery
8
2025
Outcomes of 243 dogs with traumatic fractures treated with the I-Loc interlocking nail
2025-8-vs-perry-2
In Berger 2023 et al., on elbow COR estimation, why may it be challenging to match COR in diseased elbows with the normal contralateral joint?
🔍 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.
Veterinary Surgery
1
2023
The use of subchondral bone topography to approximate the center of rotation of the elbow joint in dogs
2023-1-VS-berger-4
In Zweig 2025 et al., on healed tibial tuberosity avulsion fractures, which complication was observed only in non-surgically managed dogs?
🔍 Key Findings
- Surgically managed TTAF resulted in excellent clinical outcomes at skeletal maturity, with all dogs having normal limb function and no stifle instability.
- Surgical treatment significantly altered proximal tibial morphology, including decreased tibial plateau angle (TPA) and increased patellar position (PP) compared with the contralateral limb.
- Axial tibial tuberosity position (TTP-A) increased and transverse position (TTP-T) decreased in surgically treated stifles, indicating distal and caudal tuberosity migration.
- Non-surgically managed TTAF did not significantly alter tibial morphology or PP, but outcomes were more variable.
- Medial patellar luxation developed in 2/6 non-surgically treated dogs, whereas none occurred in surgically managed cases.
- Pins-only and pin–tension band constructs produced similar radiographic changes and outcomes.
- Despite morphologic changes, no dogs developed cruciate ligament instability at follow-up.
- Non-surgical management yielded good to excellent owner-reported outcomes, but carried a potential increased risk of patellar luxation.
Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology
6
2025
Treatment outcome and radiographic appearance of healed tibial tuberosity avulsion fractures in skeletally mature dogs: 21 cases (2016–2023)
2025-6-vcot-zweig-3
In Mcclean 2026 et al., on stifle arthrocentesis techniques, which approach produced the highest rate of iatrogenic articular cartilage injury?
🔍 Key Findings
- All four arthrocentesis techniques achieved 100% intra-articular accuracy, confirming that each landmark-guided method could successfully access the canine stifle joint.
- Lateral intercondylar notch (LINC) was the most commonly used technique clinically, reported by 87.5% (35/40) of surveyed surgeons.
- INFRA and SUPRA required significantly more needle repositions (median 3 and 2) compared with LINC and POUCH (median 1) (p = .001).
- No iatrogenic articular cartilage injury (IACI) occurred with LINC or SUPRA techniques, suggesting favorable safety profiles.
- INFRA produced the highest IACI rate (75%), with 6/8 limbs affected, indicating substantial risk with this approach.
- More than half of INFRA injuries exceeded 10 mm² and involved weight-bearing cartilage, raising concern for clinically significant joint damage.
- POUCH technique caused IACI in 37.5% of cases, but injuries occurred exclusively on non-weight-bearing cartilage.
- SUPRA (suprapatellar) approach demonstrated accuracy with zero cartilage injury, making it a promising safer alternative for stifle arthrocentesis pending clinical validation.
Veterinary Surgery
2
2026
Accuracy and safety of stifle arthrocentesis and injection based on two established and two new landmarks: Ex vivo study in dogs
2026-2-vs-mcclean-3
In Knell 2026 et al., on feline stifle luxation, which complication was most commonly associated with failure to reconstruct the caudal cruciate ligament?
🔍 Key Findings
- Coaptationless multiligament reconstruction restored stifle stability in all 23 cats, allowing immediate postoperative weight bearing without external immobilization.
- Successful outcome was achieved in 22/23 cats (95.7%), with only one case requiring arthrodesis after recurrent instability.
- Reconstruction of the caudal cruciate ligament (CdCrL) proved critical, as 3 of 4 caudal subluxation complications occurred when the CdCrL was not reconstructed initially.
- Major complications occurred in 26.6% (6/23) and consisted primarily of caudal tibial subluxation (4 cases) and medial patellar luxation (2 cases).
- Revision surgery successfully restored function in most complications, with stable joints and excellent FMPI scores after revision.
- Excellent functional outcomes were reported, with FMPI scores ranging from 0.95–1.0 at 6 months and lameness absent in nearly all cats.
- Early mobilization without postoperative immobilization preserved range of motion, with minimal osteoarthritis progression observed over 6 months.
- Internal brace principles using TightRope constructs, knotless anchors, and UHMWPE sutures provided strong multiplanar stabilization, supporting immediate limb use and favorable clinical outcomes.
Veterinary Surgery
4
2026
A multiligament, internal brace, coaptationless stifle reconstruction technique for feline stifle luxation
2026-4-vs-knell-2
In Husi 2023 et al., on TPLO vs TPLO-IB biomechanics, which test revealed significantly greater cranial tibial translation after TPLO compared to intact stifles?
🔍 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.
Veterinary Surgery
5
2023
Comparative kinetic and kinematic evaluation of TPLO and TPLO combined with extra-articular lateral augmentation: A biomechanical study
2023-5-VS-husi-2
In Anderson 2024 et al., how was the caudal malpositioning of the TPLO plate hypothesized to contribute to nerve injury?
🔍 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
Veterinary and Comparative Orthopedics and Traumatology
3
2024
Permanent Iatrogenic Fibular Nerve Injury following Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy
2024-3-VCOT-anderson-4
Quiz Results
You answered 7 out of 10 questions correctly
Key Findings