In dogs with shoulder instability, LSI and MDI are less common than MSI. Surgical reconstruction for treatment of MSI and MDI appears to produce a higher likelihood of achieving successful outcomes than nonsurgical management and surgical complication rates were low but these conclusions are tempered by the limitations of the study.

A five-and-a-half-year-old, male neutered golden retriever was presented with sudden onset, plantigrade stance of the left pelvic limb one month after a traumatic incident. A diagnosis of avulsion of the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle was made based on clinical signs and radiographic assessment. Initial wire reduction and fixation were unsuccessful. However, reduction and fixation with monofilament leader line augmented with a trans-hock external fixator resulted in a successful outcome. The dog had a normal gait 18 months after revision surgery.

A three-year-old, female Border Collie was successfully treated for an isolated, torn, medial meniscus by arthroscopic meniscal tear resection. The dog returned to agility competition without recurrence of lameness.

Interventional arthroscopy including both diagnostic and surgical arthroscopy in small animals is a safe technique and poses a risk of postoperative sepsis of approximately 1%.

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