Tibial plateau levelling osteotomy locking-compression plates for stabilisation of canine and feline ilial body fractures.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes following surgical stabilisation of ilial fractures in dogs and cats using a laterally applied Synthes TPLO locking compression plate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records and radiographs of seven dogs and two cats which had undergone surgical repair of an ilial body fracture with a TPLO locking compression plate were reviewed. Long-term clinical follow-up was obtained from an owner or referring veterinarian questionnaire. RESULTS: Fracture reduction was anatomic in six of nine ilia and near-anatomic in three of nine. All but one fracture achieved osseous union by 6 weeks after surgery. No screw loosening or implant-related complications occurred in any patient. There was pelvic canal narrowing in six of nine patients (median reduction in pelvic canal diameter was 4·9%). No intraoperative or postoperative complications were reported. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Lateral plating of canine and feline ilial fractures with a Synthes TPLO locking compression plate was associated with a low complication rate and satisfactory radiographic and clinical outcomes in this small case series.

Effect of signalment on the presentation of canine patients suffering from cranial cruciate ligament disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of signalment on the incidence and presentation of patients suffering from cranial cruciate ligament disease. METHODS: Data relating to 426 dogs (44 breeds) that met specific selection criteria were obtained from the hospital archive (2002 to 2008). Cases were followed up for 2 years. RESULTS: The breeds most commonly presented with cranial cruciate ligament disease were Labrador retriever (16%), Rottweiler (15%), golden retriever (12%) and boxer (9%). Rottweilers were significantly more likely (69%; P=0·05) to develop and present with (50%; P=0·03) bilateral cranial cruciate ligament disease. Rottweilers presenting with cranial cruciate ligament disease were significantly younger (median 977 days; P<0·0001) than other breeds; golden retrievers being significantly older at presentation (median 1994 days; P=0·004). Neither sex nor neutered status significantly affected the incidence of developing (P=0·77 and P=0·30, respectively) or presenting with (P=0·62 and P=0·35, respectively) bilateral cranial cruciate ligament disease. Entire dogs were significantly younger than neutered dogs at presentation (P=0·0004). Entire female dogs presented significantly younger than neutered females (P=0·0002), entire males (P=0·01) and neutered males (P=0·0001). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Breed affects the incidence of developing and presenting with bilateral cranial cruciate ligament disease. Breed and sex both affect the age that patients present with cranial cruciate ligament disease.

School finance: fifty years of expansion.

Since 1949-50, per-pupil expenditures in public elementary and secondary schools have more than quadrupled, even after adjusting for inflation. This article discusses some of the reasons. A significant share of the increase is the result of an 86% inflation-adjusted increase in teachers' salaries between 1949-50 and 1971-72, although teachers' salaries have changed little in the following 25 years. The ratio of students to school employees has dropped by half since 1949-50 as a result of declining class sizes and the hiring of more nonteaching school employees, which significantly affects costs. Even maintaining class size at a constant level will cause school budgets to grow at a rate greater than that of inflation because schools must compete in a labor market against other employers who are able to produce more with fewer employees. A substantial part of the increase in per-pupil spending is a result of expansions in services provided by the schools. More expensive, specialized classes for high school students, compensatory education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, special education and related services for students with disabilities, and desegregation efforts all contribute to higher costs. Efforts to improve funding equity have led to increased expenditures: rather than take funding from wealthier districts, most states prefer to raise the funding available to schools at the bottom and the middle of the scale, increasing total spending. Finally, a share of the total increase must be attributed to the workings of the political system governing schools.

Parasites and selected diseases of collared peccaries (Tayassu tajacu) in the trans-pecos region of Texas.

Fifty-five collared peccaries (Tayassu tajacu) were collected from October 1988 through April 1991 from five counties within the Trans-Pecos region of Texas (USA) to monitor for diseases and parasites. No endoparasites were recovered on gross examination. Antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi was documented in one (2%) of 55 specimens. Three (6%) of 54 collared peccaries were positive for Yersinia pestis antibodies. All collared peccaries were negative for antibodies against Brucella spp., Francisella tularensis, Rickettsia rickettsii, and Rickettsia typhi. This is the first report of Borrelia sp. and Yersinia sp. pathogens in collared peccaries from this region of Texas.

An investigation of the chemical contact lens problem.

An evaluation of the "chemical trapping premise" was made to determine if, in fact, chemicals do accumulate behind a contact lens if a wearer encounters chemical splash. Photographs were taken to document the effect of chemical splashes. A photograph of a normal eye, Fig 7, taken prior to the insertion of a contact lens is included for purposes of comparison. Under the conditions investigated, it was demonstrated that, for liquid irritant exposures, eyes are afforded more protection when wearing contact lenses than when not. Test results suggest the contact lens acts as a barrier to the irritant on the cornea. The investigators postulate that lid spasm occurs, causing the lens to tighten against the cornea, thereby effectively sealing off the area under the lens. Since the "barrier" effect appears to be a function of time, more testing of this variable is warranted. Moreover, further investigation is indicated using a broader spectrum of irritants and an extended environmental exposure to dust and vapors.