🔍 Key Findings

• Spinal stabilization with 3D-printed patient-specific drill guides (3D-PSGs) was safe, with no immediate perioperative complications reported.
• 84% of pedicle screws were optimally placed, and only 0.5% breached the spinal canal, reflecting high placement accuracy.
• 80% of dogs experienced no neurologic deterioration postoperatively, indicating reliable short-term safety.
• 3D-PSGs were accurate and reproducible, even across multiple institutions and surgeons.
• Mid-term outcomes were favorable: all dogs were ambulatory, and 90% had static or improved neurologic signs.
• 7 of 10 mid-term follow-ups showed abnormal gait, though owners rated lifestyle ≥3/5, suggesting acceptable function.
• 3D-printed guides enabled precise pedicle screw placement in deformed vertebrae, expanding options in small breeds.
• One dog suffered a T4 spinous process fracture due to overextension of PMMA cement, emphasizing the need for cement placement caution.

🔍 Key Findings

• Quadriceps muscle length/femoral length ratio (QML/FL) was significantly lower in dogs with grade IV MPL than grades I–III (p ≤ .002).
• Shortened QML was associated with increased femoral torsion angle (FTA) and increased aLDFA, indicating correlation with femoral deformity.
• QML/FL increased with age, possibly due to muscular development or reduced deformity in older dogs (p = .004).
• Grade IV MPL dogs had QML/FL < 0.87, the lower normal limit based on healthy beagles, suggesting clinically significant muscle shortening.
• PLL/PL ratio (used to diagnose patella alta) was not associated with QML/FL or MPL severity in small breeds.
• QML/FL can help preoperatively identify candidates for femoral shortening ostectomy, improving femoropatellar alignment.
• Multivariate regression model confirmed QML/FL is independently influenced by age, FTA, and aLDFA (R² = 0.45).
• CT-based 3D measurements enabled objective, noninvasive quantification of femoral and muscle alignment parameters.

🔍 Key Findings

• External skeletal fixation (ESF) was successfully applied to a variety of pelvic fracture types in cats, including sacroiliac luxations and ilial body fractures.
• All fractures achieved radiographic union within 9 weeks, even in comminuted or complex configurations.
• No intraoperative or long-term complications were reported during the study period.
• Implant loosening was observed radiographically in 13% of cases, with 8% of pins found to be loose at frame removal.
• ESF enabled indirect fracture reduction using components as handles, with a limited open approach minimizing soft tissue disruption.
• No iatrogenic neurological deficits were observed, supporting safe pin placement near neurovascular structures, although some cats presented with pre-existing neurologic signs.
• No cases required revision surgery, and all cats underwent stabilization solely with ESF as per study inclusion criteria.
• Postoperative hospitalization ranged from 2 to 5 days, though no comparison to other fixation types was evaluated.

🔍 Key Findings

• Liver lobectomy was the most common treatment (27/36 dogs), with multiple lobes removed in ~1/3 of cases.
• Septic peritonitis was present in 21/23 sampled dogs, making it a frequent complication.
• Perioperative complications occurred in 21/36 dogs, including aspiration pneumonia, pancreatitis, and acute kidney injury.
• Intraoperative hypotension was common (32/36), often requiring vasopressors or colloids.
• Mortality prior to discharge was 21% (8/38), with deaths related to sepsis, aspiration pneumonia, and multi-organ dysfunction.
• Median survival time was 638 days in dogs surviving to discharge.
• No recurrence of hepatic abscessation was observed in the surviving population.
• E. coli and Clostridium spp. were the most commonly cultured organisms, often as single-agent infections.

🔍 Key Findings

• Prophylactic fenestration (PF) significantly reduced recurrence of cervical intervertebral disc extrusion (0% vs. 37.8%, p < .001).
• Surgery time was longer with PF (median 182 vs. 110 min, p = .017), but no difference in perioperative complication rates (PF 16.7%, non-PF 18.9%; p = .838).
• 25% overall recurrence rate, but all recurrences occurred in the non-PF group.
• Medical management was effective in 92.9% of recurrence cases.
• Most PF sites targeted adjacent discs; 88.9% were at adjacent levels, which are common recurrence sites.
• Neurologic outcomes were similar between PF and non-PF dogs post-surgery and at follow-up.
• Fenestration technique (blade vs. burr) not shown to affect outcome but contributed to extended surgical time.
• No major complications or deaths linked directly to PF in initial surgeries.

🔍 Key Findings

• Fluoroscopy-guided osteotomy placement achieved a median postoperative TPA of 3° (range: 0–4.5°), showing excellent accuracy.
• The D1 measurement (from patellar ligament insertion to osteotomy exit) was more reproducible and accurate intraoperatively than D2.
• Median R1 value (D1-based) matched the intended 21 mm radius with only 0.5 mm deviation, while R2 deviated by 2.5 mm.
• Real-time fluoroscopy allowed dynamic limb positioning and reduced osteotomy placement variability.
• Intraoperative fluoroscopy reduced reliance on preoperative planning, especially in cases with difficult anatomy or positioning.
• Radiation exposure was minimal (avg. 3 images per case) and within safe limits using standard protection protocols.
• Study standardized to 21 mm blades and excluded dogs with developmental orthopedic conditions to reduce confounders.
• Targeting a lower postoperative TPA (3°) may reduce meniscal load and cranio-caudal instability, though long-term outcomes require further 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.

🔍 Key Findings

• 48% of the intra-articular biceps tendon was visible at a standing angle; this increased to 63% in flexion (p = 0.0003).
• 58% of the medial glenohumeral ligament's cranial border was within view.
• 20% of the subscapularis tendon was visualized via the standard lateral arthroscopic approach.
• Visibility was assessed using tattoo ink markers and confirmed via dissection in cadavers.
• Limitations of standard lateral portals may lead to underdiagnosis of deeper or distal pathology in these structures.

🔍 Key Findings

• Open transcholecystic cholangioscopy was feasible using a 3.8 mm disposable flexible endoscope in all 8 canine cadavers.
• Visualization was consistently achieved up to the junction of the hepatic ducts, common bile duct, and cystic duct.
• Advancement past the junction was limited by the endoscope diameter (3.8 mm) and anatomical flexure.
• The 1.9 mm flexible ureteroscope could visualize the entire biliary tree, including the major duodenal papilla, in a large dog (43.8 kg).
• Endoscopic tools (e.g., 3 Fr grasping forceps) could be passed through the working channel only after removing the irrigation line.
• Standard biopsy forceps were incompatible with the disposable endoscope's 1.2 mm working channel.
• Cadaver study showed no rupture, but clinical extrapolation is limited due to lack of diseased tissue.
• Disposable endoscope setup cost (~$6,100) was significantly lower than traditional endoscopy systems (~$75,000–100,000), improving accessibility.

🔍 Key Findings

From Allaith et al., 2023 – Outcomes from a multiuser canine hip replacement registry

• 2375 total hip replacements were analyzed across 1852 dogs, making this the largest multiuser canine THR dataset to date.
• Most common indications for THR were hip dysplasia (51%) and osteoarthritis (34%).
• Implants used included Kyon (46%), BioMedtrix CFX (22%), Hybrid (11%), BFX (9%), and Helica (4.5%).
• Veterinary-reported complication rate was 8.5%, while owner-reported was 23%, with moderate agreement (k=0.44).
• Most common complications: Luxation, femoral fracture, and aseptic loosening.
• BioMedtrix BFX and Helica implants had a higher risk of complications when used after femoral head and neck excision (P = .031).
• Postoperative LOAD scores significantly improved vs preoperative (21 → 11; P < .0001), supporting improved mobility.
• Owner satisfaction was high, with 88% rating outcome as very good or good.