🔍 Key Findings
- Fascia was present over most of the canine forelimb, but key areas like the elbow, carpus, and manus lacked robust fascial planes for wide resection.
- Type I fascia (discrete sheet) was primarily found in the antebrachium, with type IV (periosteal) fascia located at the olecranon, scapular spine, and accessory carpal bone.
- Distal antebrachial fascia was thin and adherent, often blending with carpal structures and lacking reliable surgical planes.
- Partial tenectomy or joint capsule resection was often required for wide excision in the distal limb, especially over the triceps tendon and carpus.
- Nerve transections (e.g., superficial radial or ulnar branches) were commonly needed to maintain fascial margins, though often with minimal functional loss due to overlapping innervation.
- Digital and metacarpal pads lacked clear deep fascial borders, making digit amputation necessary for oncologic margins in distal tumors.
- Dissections revealed fascial junctions as either Type A (easily separable) or Type B (risk of disruption), guiding resection plane selection.
- Findings provide a surgical map to guide preoperative planning for superficial tumor excision on the forelimb.
