Evaluation of a Low-cost Renal Simulator for the Diagnostic Ultrasound Training of Veterinary Medicine Students.

The acquisition of ultrasound diagnostic skills via training is important for undergraduate veterinary medical students. Unfortunately, commercial simulators are costly, which limits their use and makes it necessary to develop low-cost simulators for training purposes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an easily constructed, low-cost, high-fidelity renal simulator for use in diagnostic ultrasound training of veterinary medical students. To construct the simulators, donated cat kidneys were embedded in a prepared agar matrix. The echogenicity of ultrasound scans obtained on the kidney simulator was assessed by the subject lecturers and compared with images acquired during clinical routine diagnostic procedures. Five students with no prior experience of the technique, under the direct supervision of a lecturer, performed five B-mode ultrasound examinations of the renal structure of the simulator. The structure of the kidney was assessed, and its length, width and thickness were measured. Three lecturers performed the same procedure as the students, and their results were used for comparison. Appropriate anatomical and ultrasonographic realism was achieved for each of the three layers of the kidney (cortex, medulla and pelvis), and similar pixel values were obtained with the simulator model and actual clinical diagnostic ultrasounds. In addition, the kidney dimensions acquired by the students were consistent with those acquired by the lecturers. Thus, the proposed kidney simulator can be used for the training of veterinary medicine students in ultrasonographic diagnostic techniques.

Surgical Extraction of Viable Hen ( Gallus gallus domesticus) Follicles for In Vitro Fertilization.

Assisted reproduction techniques in birds have been developed for zootechnical purposes and have been adapted for use in conservation of wild bird species. To develop a technique for obtaining follicles in live hens, 5 Rhode Island red hens ( Gallus gallus domesticus) were anesthetized, and abdominal ultrasound was performed to confirm the presence of ovarian follicles. A left celiotomy then was performed to obtain follicles in different stages of maturation for in vitro fertilization. The follicles were located by digital exploration, then extracted by isolating each follicle with the index finger of each hand, holding it by the stigma, and then applying slight traction towards the exterior of the coelomic cavity until the follicle separated from the ovary. In total, 18 of 30 (60%) follicles obtained were suitable for in vitro fertilization, but only 3 (16%) were fertilized successfully. All birds recovered from the procedure and remained in good condition postoperatively. Perfecting assisted reproduction technique holds potential benefits for determining sex of embryos by blastomeres sexing, supporting the conservation efforts of avian species, and benefiting research areas, such as genetic and biopharmaceutical research.

Development of a bone nonunion in a noncritical segmental tibia defect model in sheep utilizing interlocking nail as an internal fixation system.

BACKGROUND: The bone nonunion is an important complication of bone fracture repair. The existing models developed on small animal species prevent using osteosynthesis materials designed to be implanted in human bones. The goal of this study was to develop a nonunion process in a noncritical segmental tibial defect in sheep, a species analogous in size to humans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The animals were divided into two groups of four animals each. In Group 1 (experimental), the defect was created by surgically stripping the periosteum from the edges of a distal tibial osteotomy, keeping the edges 5 mm apart, and placing an incomplete O-shaped silicone ring in the gap. Group 2 (control) was intervened with a simple fracture at the distal end of the tibia. In both groups an interlocking nail was used as a fixation system. Over 8 wk after surgery, radiographs and histologic and histomorphometric analyses were performed. RESULTS: The control group showed a typical bone repair process. In contrast, the experimental group showed a fracture line with rounded edges and a scarce callus formation. The bone callus showed reduced amount of bone formation and large content of fibrous tissue (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that our model developed an atrophic nonunion in sheep, a species having multiple similarities to humans, such as weight, size, bone structure, and bone remodeling process.