🔍 Key Findings

• Tracheal anastomoses in immature dogs failed at significantly lower distraction forces (44.91 ± 59.03 N) than in adults (149.31 ± 45.36 N; _P_ = .007).
• Immature tracheae tolerated significantly more elongation before failure (39.75 ± 5.45%) than adult tracheae (30.57 ± 7.19%; _P_ = .0012).
• All constructs failed by suture tearing through the annular ligament, primarily near the dorsal tracheal ring.
• Overlapping of tracheal ends was seen in 50% of specimens across both age groups, suggesting limitations in tissue apposition with the chosen technique.
• Simple continuous pattern using 2-0 polypropylene was used; this pattern provides superior tensile strength compared to simple interrupted, but apposition may be suboptimal.
• Tracheal elasticity in immature dogs may allow longer resections, but the lower tensile strength necessitates reinforcement.
• Annular ligament-cartilage technique with 4-mm suture spacing showed variable results; smaller bites and nylon suture may improve outcomes.
• Ex vivo setup using frozen-thawed tracheae is a limitation, but prior studies support comparability with fresh tissue.

🔍 Key Findings

• Routine follow-up radiographs after MPL surgery influenced management in only 3% of asymptomatic cases.
• Isolated radiographic abnormalities were rare (3.3%) and even less likely to alter treatment unless accompanied by clinical concerns.
• Dogs with both radiographic changes and clinical/owner concerns had 32× higher odds of a management change (OR 32.16, P < .001).
• Lameness, NSAID use, or prior unplanned visits significantly increased the odds of altered post-op plans.
• Owner-reported concerns alone led to a change in only 1.6% of cases without corroborating clinical findings.
• Radiographic follow-up was deemed unnecessary in dogs without owner concerns or abnormal physical findings.
• Hands-on clinical exam remains critical, though video-based rechecks may aid triage in uncomplicated cases.
• The study supports selective radiographic follow-up, reducing unnecessary imaging, stress, and clinician workload.

🔍 Key Findings:

• Study design: Retrospective, 20 cats with congenital EHPSS treated with ameroid ring constrictor (ARC).
• Perioperative complication rate: 25% (5/20), including seizures, blindness, ascites, and one death.
• Short-term outcomes (18 cats):
  • Excellent: 14
  • Good: 2
  • Poor: 2
• Long-term outcomes (18 cats):
  • Excellent: 15
  • Good: 1
  • Poor: 2
• Persistent seizures: Noted in some cats despite normal bile acids and CBC/chemistry.
• Preoperative blindness resolved in most cats.
• Mean follow-up duration: Median 8 years.

🔍 Key Findings

• CBLO was effective for stifle stabilization in skeletally immature dogs with CrCL injuries, avoiding disruption of proximal tibial growth plates.
• Radiographic union of the osteotomy occurred in a mean of 6 weeks (range: 4–8 weeks), indicating rapid bone healing.
• Full limb function was restored in all cases by long-term follow-up (mean 23 months), including dogs with initial complications.
• Two dogs developed 19° valgus deformities due to screw interference with the proximal tibial physis; both were corrected surgically with return to function.
• One dog developed 10° recurvatum due to over-rotation of the tibial plateau, but retained full function without revision.
• CCS (countersink compression screw) caused early apophyseal closure in older dogs but had no adverse clinical effects.
• In contrast, K-wire or plate-only fixation preserved open apophysis, suggesting implant choice may influence growth.
• No meniscal injuries were observed, and all CrCL injuries were managed arthroscopically — 6 complete, 6 partial, 4 avulsions.

🔍 Key Findings

• Tibial plateau fractures (TPF) are rare in dogs, but can be surgically stabilized with good outcomes even in complex trauma cases.
• Lateral TPFs (Unger type 41-B1) were approached via caudolateral arthrotomy, with elevation of the lateral meniscus for visualization and use of lag screws and K-wires for fixation.
• Medial TPF (Unger type 41-B2) was addressed via medial parapatellar approach using K-wires and a figure-of-eight tension band.
• One minor complication occurred: implant yield at 2 weeks in a case with a concurrent fibular fracture, resulting in a 0.8 mm step defect.
• No major complications were recorded, and all dogs achieved clinical union with full function by 8–10 weeks.
• Long-term owner-reported outcomes (LOAD scores) were excellent (5/52), indicating minimal osteoarthritis or chronic pain.
• Concurrent fibular fractures may increase risk of implant failure and should influence implant selection (e.g., considering buttress plating).
• Arthroscopic-assisted techniques may be applicable in select cases, but open reduction was preferred due to fragment displacement or concurrent injuries.

🔍 Key Findings

• FFP resulted in longer median surgery (75 min) and anesthesia (111 min) durations than S (51 min and 80 min, respectively).
• No significant difference in anesthetic complications, regurgitation, aspiration pneumonia, or hospitalization time between S and FFP.
• Major complications were rare (4%) and equally distributed between procedures; included tracheostomy and euthanasia due to severe airway disease.
• Postoperative oxygen use was common (52% of dogs) but not significantly different between procedures.
• FFP dogs more often had laryngeal collapse (especially Grade 1: 68% vs. 32% in S dogs).
• Most dogs (85%) had concurrent nares surgery, with caudal wedge resection more frequent in FFP dogs.
• Few dogs needed revision soft palate surgery (7/124 total); similar between groups.
• Postoperative clinical signs improved across both procedures; regurgitation was the most persistent sign post-op.

🔍 Key Findings

• 20 dogs (26 shoulders) evaluated at mean 3.5 years post-surgery after arthroscopic or open debridement.
• Ipsilateral muscle atrophy and decreased range of motion (↓ extension, ↓ flexion) in affected limbs compared to contralateral healthy shoulders.
• All treated shoulders developed osteoarthritis, confirmed radiographically, by CT, and arthroscopically.
• Moderate to severe synovitis was present in all shoulders; lesions showed patchy, incomplete cartilage infilling even up to 8.9 years post-op.
• Kinetic gait analysis showed no significant differences in PVF/VI between affected and unaffected limbs, despite mild lameness clinically.
• Owners reported good to very good mobility (median LOAD = 6), often underestimating clinical lameness.
• CT detected larger lesion dimensions than radiographs (wider, deeper defects).
• Despite progression of OA, surgical debridement was associated with satisfactory long-term function, though not prevention of degenerative changes.

🔍 Key Findings

• Spaced instruction (SI) improved immediate performance on the first learned skill compared to massed instruction (MI) in both LSU and LMU cohorts.
• Cognitive load was higher in MI students at LMU, particularly in physical demand, effort, and frustration, while LSU showed no significant cognitive load differences.
• Skill performance differences disappeared after 2 weeks of supervised practice, regardless of instructional format.
• Time to complete skills improved over time, but this did not always correlate with improved checklist or global rating scores.
• Intrinsic cognitive load increased when teaching more complex or related surgical tasks in the same session.
• Initial skill complexity and prior exposure may influence effectiveness of spaced vs massed instruction.
• Supervised practice sessions are critical to eliminate initial skill disparities between instructional methods.
• Massed instruction may still be acceptable if followed by scheduled practice opportunities.

🔍 Key Findings

• Needle arthroscopy (NA) had 95% sensitivity and 100% specificity for detecting medial meniscal tears using standard arthroscopy (SA) as the reference.
• NA correctly identified meniscal status in 25/26 dogs, missing only one stable nondisplaced tear.
• NA took less time than SA: 8 ± 3 min vs. 15 ± 9 min (P = .0041).
• Visibility scores were significantly lower with NA than SA for all meniscal horns (medial and lateral) .
• Probing difficulty was greater with NA, especially for the lateral meniscus (P = .0017).
• NA caused no measurable morbidity: lameness scores were unchanged before and after the procedure (P = .25).
• NA was possible in sedated dogs, though 10/26 required additional anesthesia due to delays.
• NA missed 1 lateral tear, likely due to reduced access and lack of shaving compared to SA.

🔍 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