Triple pelvic osteotomy in dogs less than 12 kg in weight. Technical feasibility and short-term radiographic and clinical complications in fourteen hips.

Triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO) was used to treat a selected group of young dogs with clinical and radiographic signs of hip dysplasia. Good clinical outcomes have been reported in dogs between 17-85 kg body weight. Hip dysplasia however is also encountered in smaller dogs. If surgery is performed in smaller dogs, femoral head and neck ostectomy is the main treatment method used. We wanted to determine if TPO could also be used in dogs under 12 kg bodyweight. Our study showed that it is technically possible to perform TPO surgery in dogs less than 12 kg of weight (down to 4.6 kg) with a good clinical outcome even in hips with high angles of reduction and subluxation.

Screw loosening six weeks after triple pelvic osteotomy: comparison of pre-tapped with self-tapping 3.5 mm cortical screws.

A retrospective study of 62 dogs that underwent unilateral triple pelvic osteotomy with a Slocum triple pelvic osteotomy plate and Synthes 3.5 mm cortical screws. We compared the probability of screw loosening after six weeks in dogs in which pre-tapped screws were used (30 dogs), with dogs in which self-tapping screws were used (32 dogs). Screw loosening was significantly less prevalent with self-tapping screws than pre-tapped screws.

Grossly apparent cartilage erosion of the patellar articular surface in dogs with congenital medial patellar luxation.

One hundred and forty-five stifles of client-owned dogs that underwent corrective surgery for congenital medial patellar luxation were inspected for cartilage erosion on the articular surface of the patella. The lesions were mapped in surface percentage ranges of 20% and by location. Two-thirds of the patellae had cartilage erosion. Cartilage erosion varied between 0 and 100% of the total patellar articular surface and was localised mainly on the medial and distal side of the patella. Dogs with Grade IV patellar luxations and heavier dogs were more affected. The majority of dogs in our study with congenital medial patellar luxation had grossly apparent cartilage erosion on the articular surface of the patella, which may help to explain why certain patients do not function well clinically after technically successful corrective surgery.