🔍 Key Findings

• Mitral valve plasty (MVP) in dogs with MMVD significantly reduced regurgitant volume and fraction, and normalized LA:Ao ratio, indicating reversal of volume overload.
• MVP altered mitral valve geometry, with reduced annular dimensions and increased coaptation length, enhancing valve competence.
• Postoperative LA:Ao ratio dropped from 2.2 to 1.2, consistent with improved left atrial pressure and size.
• Forward stroke volume index and cardiac index increased at 3 months, reflecting improved hemodynamic function despite reduced fractional shortening.
• Three dogs (3.9%) died postoperatively, highlighting a 96.1% survival rate within 3 months.
• The repair technique involved artificial chordal replacement and annuloplasty; no cleft closure or leaflet suturing was used.
• Color Doppler echocardiography confirmed substantial reduction in mitral regurgitation postoperatively in most dogs.

🔍 Key Findings Summary

• Subjects: 12 healthy colony cats, 68 total liver samples collected via laparoscopy
• Biopsy instruments: 3 mm vs 5 mm Storz Blakesley cup forceps
• Techniques: Twist (T), Pull (P), Twist + Pull (TP)
• Results:
  • 5 mm forceps yielded significantly more hepatic lobules (mean 12.4 vs 4.9), portal triads (29.6 vs 19.0), weight, and histologic area (p < .01)
  • T and P techniques yielded more portal triads and lobules than TP (p = .003 and p = .015)
  • TP technique resulted in greater tissue crush vs T (p = .01)
  • Good diagnostic agreement between 3 mm and 5 mm samples only with TP (κ = 0.75)
  • All samples were of sufficient diagnostic quality, despite size or technique
• Clinical implication: Both 3 mm and 5 mm forceps are viable; further studies are needed to confirm diagnostic accuracy of 3 mm samples

🔍 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

• WMg (water manometer with gauge) was the most accurate and precise pressure measurement device.
• APT (arterial pressure transducer) was less accurate than WMg but still precise; it differed significantly from the gold standard (WMr).
• CCT (Compass CT) was the least accurate and precise and differed significantly from the set pressure.
• Mean differences from set pressure were smallest for WMg (−0.020 cm H2O), moderate for APT (−0.390 cm H2O), and largest for CCT (−1.267 cm H2O).
• All devices showed excellent interobserver (ICC = 1.000) and intraobserver agreement (ICC range 0.985–0.998).
• Even though the CCT performed least well, all devices had mean errors ≤1.3 cm H2O, indicating potential clinical utility.
• WMg or WMr should be preferred in surgical settings due to superior accuracy and precision.
• Measurement precision is more critical than accuracy during PSS surgery, as a 1 mm Hg (~1.3 cm H2O) increase in portal pressure raises odds of poor outcomes by 9%.

🔍 Key Findings

• Supracutaneous locking plates (SLPs) were successfully used to manage 33 diaphyseal fractures (radial–ulnar and tibial) in 30 cats and dogs.
• Median fracture healing time was 50.5 days (range: 27–88), with most patients regaining limb use within days postoperatively.
• CT-based metrics (callus area, HU, and 3D bone volume) increased significantly during healing (p < 0.05), validating CT as a quantitative tool for assessing healing.
• Complications were minimal: minor in 15/33 (e.g., screw tract discharge, edema), and major in 3/33 (e.g., implant failure, delayed union, nonunion).
• Minimally invasive osteosynthesis required longer surgery times than closed reduction (p < 0.05), but both techniques were viable.
• SLPs enabled successful bilateral fracture management without inter-plate interference due to their compact design.
• Screw orientation challenges were noted in cats, especially with cranial application to the radius due to narrow anatomy.
• Polyaxial locking screws were used safely and did not dislodge, allowing for angular insertion (≤10°) to avoid neurovascular structures.

🔍 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

• Zurich mini-cementless THA was successful in 9/10 hips in dogs <4 kg, with no lameness at 52 weeks in completed cases.
• Helsinki Chronic Pain Index significantly improved from a mean of 19.8 to 2.3 at 52 weeks (p = 0.0141).
• Fluoroscopy improved implant positioning, especially in LCPD and HD cases, aiding in accurate reaming and alignment.
• Intraoperative complications occurred in 2/10 cases, including acetabular fractures; one case required discontinuation.
• Prophylactic bicortical screws and reinforcement plates were used in cases with rotational instability or cortical compromise and were effective in preventing loosening/fractures.
• Medial patellar luxation improved postoperatively in one dog, though recurrence was noted later without surgical correction.
• No stem or implant loosening or fracture occurred over a mean follow-up of 24.4 months.
• CT is recommended in preoperative planning, particularly in luxoid hip dysplasia cases with uncertain bone stock.

🔍 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

• Refracture occurred in 5.5% of limbs, with higher incidence in the plate removal group (12.5%) vs. non-removal (3.5%).
• In the non-plate removal group, refractures occurred at the most distal screw site, linked to greater screw position change during growth (OR 1.79, p=0.04).
• Screw-to-bone diameter ratio (SBDR) >0.4 was a significant risk factor for refracture in the plate retention group.
• In the plate removal group, refractures occurred at the original fracture site, associated with lower pixel value ratio (bone mineral density) and reduced radial thickness.
• Implant-induced osteoporosis (IIO) beneath the plate likely contributed to refracture risk after plate removal.
• Younger age at fracture (<6 months) was associated with higher refracture risk due to ongoing radial growth and shifting screw position.
• No significant association was found between refracture and plate type (locking vs conventional), fixation method, or ulnar union.
• Recommendations include careful SBDR sizing, motion restriction, and cautious plate removal decisions in growing dogs.

🔍 Key Findings

• All dogs developed progressive osteoarthritis (OA) after surgical debridement of proximal humeral OC.
• Ipsilateral muscle atrophy and reduced shoulder range of motion were common, particularly in unilaterally affected dogs.
• Arthroscopically, lesions showed incomplete cartilage infilling even years after surgery, averaging only ~37% infilling.
• Synovitis was present in all joints, with moderate-to-severe hypertrophy and vascularity scores.
• CT identified OC lesions as deeper and wider than radiography, and all affected joints had more advanced OA than contralateral limbs (P = .001 radiograph, P = .005 CT).
• Kinetic gait analysis showed no significant differences in peak vertical force or impulse, but a subtle 4.4% asymmetric load reduction on the operated limb.
• Median LOAD score was 6, indicating mild owner-perceived disability despite measurable clinical and imaging abnormalities.
• Cartilage infilling was incomplete in all cases, with no lesion exceeding 60% restoration, raising questions about the healing potential of debridement alone.