In dogs weighing 20-60 kg, TPLO and mCCWO are associated with similar complication rates and clinical outcomes when performed by surgeons experienced with the surgical techniques.

ObjectiveTo determine the accuracy of pedicle screw placement in the thoracic spine of dogs with spinal deformities with three‐dimensionally (3D) printed patient‐specific drill guides.Study designRetrospective study.Sample populationSix dogs in which sixty pedicle screws were placed in the thoracolumbar spine.MethodsMedical records were searched between June 2017 and June 2018 for dogs with clinical signs associated with a thoracolumbar vertebral malformation. Inclusion criteria included MRI and computed tomography (CT) data that were used to create 3D printed patient‐specific drill guides. All dogs were stabilized dorsally with guided bicortical pedicle screws and polymethylmethacrylate. Accuracy of screw placement was assessed by immediately postoperative CT according to a modified Zdichavsky classification.ResultsFive pugs and one French bulldog met the inclusion criteria. Sixty bicortical pedicle screws were placed; 96.7% were graded as I (optimal placement), and 3.3% were classified as IIa (partial penetration of the medial pedicle wall) according to a modified Zdichavsky classification.ConclusionThree‐dimensionally printed patient‐specific drill guides allowed safe and accurate placement of pedicle screws in the thoracolumbar spine in dogs with vertebral malformation.Clinical significanceThree‐dimensionally printed patient‐specific drill guides are a safe and effective method of placing pedicle screws in dogs with thoracolumbar vertebral malformations.

The use of a 3D-printed patient-specific drill guide permitted accurate placement of 32 bicortical pedicle screws in the caudal cervical vertebrae of 3 dogs. This technique may improve clinical outcome through superior biomechanical properties of screws, reduced surgical time, and reduced morbidity. These results warrant evaluation of patient outcome in a larger population.

The reported protocol for the measurement of FVA in dogs is repeatable and reproducible. Small variations in femoral orientation, as might be expected with conventional radiography, lead to clinically significant alterations in measured FVA.

Hybrid THR can be performed successfully with a low complication rate and represents an alternative to either entirely cemented or cementless implantation.