🔍 Key Findings

• Dorsoventral radiographs artificially increase Norberg angle values by 3.2–5.8% and should be excluded.
• Lateral pelvic tilt >2° causes asymmetric changes in Norberg angle; >3° results in significant side-specific changes.
• Cranioventral-to-caudodorsal tilt >10° results in obvious radiographic tilt, but changes Norberg angle by only ~2%.
• Tilted but subjectively acceptable images have minor impact and may still be usable for screening.
• Norberg angle readings differed consistently between left/right hips — possibly due to operator handedness.

🔍 Key Findings

• Postoperative complications occurred in 20% of stifles, including 7.5% minor, 10.3% surgical, and 3.4% medical complications.
• The PROSPECT machine-learning model achieved high predictive accuracy: 92.3% for surgical complications, 91.9% for minor, and 94.3% for medical.
• Top predictive features included surgical technique, implant type, patient age, and surgeon identity.
• Surgeon-specific variables influenced predictions, indicating operator experience and technique matter.
• Engineered interaction features (e.g., breed × implant) were more predictive than raw clinical data alone.
• Rottweiler, intact male status, and higher bodyweight were associated with increased complication risk; Labradors had decreased risk.
• Model calibration was strong, especially for high and low probability predictions; midrange predictions were less reliable.
• The model supports individualized, probabilistic risk assessment, which could inform client counseling and tailored postoperative care.

PROSPECT = Predicting Risk Of Surgical compli­cations aftEr CCWO and TPLO

🔍 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

• C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) levels remained low at 3 and 6 months after uncomplicated THA in dogs.
• No significant differences were observed in CRP or SAA between preoperative, 3-month, and 6-month time points.
• Mean CRP values were 3.8 mg/L pre-op, 0.8 mg/L at 3 months, and 1.4 mg/L at 6 months.
• Mean SAA values were 13.9 mg/L pre-op, 14.1 mg/L at 3 months, and 18.4 mg/L at 6 months.
• All dogs recovered normally with no complications or persistent signs of inflammation at follow-up.
• Study establishes baseline CRP and SAA levels for dogs post-THA, useful for comparison in suspected PJI.
• These markers may help differentiate periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) if values deviate from baseline post-THA.
• NSAID therapy was discontinued by 6 months in all dogs, possibly reflecting decreased inflammation.

🔍 Key Findings

• Two short screws (SLS or SPS) provided >2× peak load, yield load, and stiffness vs a single long screw (LLS) for SI joint stabilization.
• No mechanical advantage was seen between the two short screw types (lag vs positional).
• All short screws terminated lateral to the spinal canal, avoiding spinal impingement.
• Ventral sacral foraminal impingement occurred in 3 short-screw cases (1 SPS, 2 SLS), all involving the caudal screw.
• LLS group showed more abaxial displacement at osteotomy sites, suggesting inferior stabilization for concurrent pelvic fractures.
• Short screw constructs had longer total screw length (48 mm) than LLS (40 mm), contributing to increased stiffness.
• Positioning of caudal screw in a cranial/craniodorsal trajectory may help avoid nerve foraminal injury.
• No significant difference in displacement at peak load among groups; stiffness and load capacity were the primary benefits.

🔍 Key Findings Summary

• Normative ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI T2* values were established for:
  • Patellar ligament (PL): T2*L = 4.65 ms
  • Cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL): T2*L = 5.99 ms
  • Caudal cruciate ligament (CdCL): T2*L = 7.06 ms
• Statistically significant differences in T2*L values were found between:
  • PL vs. CrCL (p = 0.03)
  • PL vs. CdCL (p = 0.0097)
  • CrCL vs. CdCL (p = 0.03)
• No significant differences in short T2* (T2*S) values across ligaments.
• Study highlights potential of UTE MRI to detect early ligament changes even without physical instability.
• May guide early diagnosis in partial CrCL rupture where standard MRI is limited.

🔍 Key Findings

• Roux-en-Y procedures were successfully completed in all 11 cases (6 dogs, 5 cats), despite case complexity and disease severity.
• Median survival post-discharge was longer in cats (365 days) vs. dogs (82 days), with better outcomes in non-neoplastic vs. neoplastic disease (192 vs. 5 days).
• Complication rate was high, with septic peritonitis, dehiscence, and cardiac arrest as leading causes of postoperative death; mortality rate = 36%.
• Dehiscence rate was 8.6% (2 of 23 anastomoses), considered lower than typical rates for GI anastomoses in high-risk patients.
• Feeding tubes (gastrostomy/jejunostomy) were used in all cases, enabling early nutritional support and stomach decompression.
• Postoperative nausea and vomiting were common but mostly self-limiting; managed with metoclopramide, cisapride, and antiemetics.
• Choledochojejunostomy was preferred when common bile duct was dilated, offering a favorable size match and potentially reducing bile leakage.
• Roux-en-Y reduced typical Billroth II complications (e.g., bile reflux, afferent loop syndrome, dumping syndrome), with none observed in discharged patients.

🔍 Key Findings

• Nasopharyngeal collapse was significantly more severe in brachycephalic dogs (median 65%) than in nonbrachycephalic controls (median 10%) (p = .0001).
• Postoperative fluoroscopy showed no significant improvement in nasopharyngeal collapse (p = .0505), despite reported clinical improvement.
• 70% of brachycephalic dogs had ≥50% collapse; 26% had 100% collapse preoperatively.
• All owners of surgical cases reported clinical improvement, including reduced respiratory noise and improved exercise tolerance.
• Surgical techniques used included combinations of alaplasty, staphylectomy, sacculectomy, and tonsillectomy.
• Improvement in nasopharyngeal dimensions was variable, with some dogs improving ≥45%, some worsening, and one dog showing a 100% increase post-op.
• Pharyngeal collapse may not be solely anatomical; neuromuscular dysfunction (e.g., reduced pharyngeal dilator muscle function) may contribute.
• Current surgical techniques may not address functional airway abnormalities, suggesting a need for multimodal or targeted interventions.

🔍 Key Findings

Study design: Randomized cadaveric comparison (n=20 dogs; ILR vs PDR)

Approaches:

• ILR = Intercostal in Left Lateral Recumbency (no OLV required)
• PDR = Paraxiphoid in Dorsal Recumbency (traditional)

Outcomes:

• Pericardiectomy time was shorter for ILR (p = .045)
• Pericardial fragment size was significantly larger in PDR group (p = .004; 23.21 cm² difference)
• Visibility and cardiac exposure were superior in PDR group

Feasibility:

• ILR approach was consistently successful in achieving partial pericardiectomy
• Bilateral ventilation was adequate; no need for OLV

Clinical relevance:

• ILR may improve efficiency when paired with TDL
• PDR remains preferable for cases requiring maximal pericardial resection

🔍 Key Findings

• 13 cadaver dogs underwent laparoscopic right lateral liver lobectomy in sternal recumbency using a transdiaphragmatic intrathoracic trocar (ITT).
• All lobectomies were successful, regardless of dog size.
• Median total surgical time: 35.5 min; median lobectomy time: 18.5 min.
• ITT port enhanced visualization and access to hilus.
• No correlation between body weight and hilus access (p = .78).
• Stronger correlation between liver lobe weight and lobectomy time (r = .73, p = .004).
• Complication in 3/13 cases: Loss of insufflation due to balloon-tip port failure and pneumothorax.
• Recommendation: Use a new balloon trocar per case in clinical applications to prevent failure.