Physeal fractures of the distal femur are among the most commonly encountered fractures in skeletally immature dogs. These fractures respond poorly to conservative management and thus early surgical reduction and stabilisation are recommended. A 7-month-old intact male Border collie presented with a history of chronic lameness. Clinical examination revealed a predominantly non-weight-bearing lameness of the right hindlimb and concurrent muscle atrophy. A pronounced, but atypical, procurvatum deformity of the right distal femur was diagnosed on survey radiographs. Malunion of a Salter–Harris Type III physeal fracture was suspected as there was an associated history of trauma. A cranially based closing wedge ostectomy was performed to address the femoral deformity and subsequently stabilised using a supracondylar bone plate. The dog recovered well and was moderately weight-bearing lame on the right hindlimb 6 weeks post-operatively. Ten months following the operation the range of motion had improved in the right stifle and no signs of lameness were evident at a walk. We advocate surgical correction of sagittal plane deformities of the distal femur using the CORA method. Overall, a good functional outcome was achieved, which is consistent with previously reported cases with similar deformities.

SummaryThe immediate postoperative biomechanical properties of an “underand-over” cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) replacement technique consisting of fascia lata and the lateral onethird of the patellar ligament, were compared with that of a modified intra- and extracapsular “under-and-over-the-top” (UOTT) method. The right CCL in twelve adult dogs was dissected out and replaced with an autograft. The contralateral, intact CCL served as the control. In group A, the graft was secured to the lateral femoral condyle with a spiked washer and screw. In group B the intracapsular graft was secured to the lateral femoro-fabellar ligament, and the remainder to the patellar tendon. Both CCL replacement techniques exhibited a 2.0 ± 0.5 mm anterior drawer immediately after the operation. After skeletonization of the stifles, the length and cross-sectional area of the intact CCL and CCL substitutes were determined. Each bone-ligament unit was tested in linear tension to failure at a fixed distraction rate of 15 mm/s with the stifle in 120° flexion. Data was processed to obtain the corresponding material parameters (modulus, stress and strain in the linear loading region, and energy absorption to maximum load).The immediate postoperative structural and material properties of the “under-and-over” cranial cruciate ligament replacement technique with autogenous fascia lata, were compared to that of a modified intra- and extracapsular “under-and-over-the-top” (UOTT) method. The combined UOT T technique was slightly stronger (6%), but allowed 2.8 ± 0.9 mm more cranial tibial displacement at maximum linear force.

Stability of the resulting construct should be considered when selecting an implant. Our results provide evidence that fixation via pin-PMMA or SOP provide similar stability for L7-S1 fracture-luxation. In this context, other factors become more important in selecting the fixation method.

This article describes the use of a modified C-clamp-on plate in conjunction with an intramedullary pin for the treatment of long bone diaphyseal fractures in dogs. Based on the long-term results, the advantages, as well as the limitations and possible complications of this new internal fixation technique are described.

A nine-year-old female Rottweiler with a history of repeated gastrointestinal ulcerations and three previous surgical interventions related to gastrointestinal ulceration presented with symptoms of anorexia and intermittent vomiting. Benign gastric outflow obstruction was diagnosed in the proximal duodenal area. The initial surgical plan was to perform a pylorectomy with gastroduodenostomy (Billroth I procedure), but owing to substantial scar tissue and adhesions in the area a palliative gastrojejunostomy was performed. This procedure provided a bypass for the gastric contents into the proximal jejunum via the new stoma, yet still allowed bile and pancreatic secretions to flow normally via the patent duodenum. The gastrojejunostomy technique was successful in the surgical management of this case, which involved proximal duodenal stricture in the absence of neoplasia. Regular telephonic follow-up over the next 12 months confirmed that the patient was doing well.