Orthopedic conditions that we treat include the following:
- Ligament and cartilage repairs – techniques include tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO), CBLO and extracapsular cruciate repair, and arthroscopic examination of the menscial cartilages. We will also fix Achilles tendon and collateral ligament injuries.
Sitka after having both cruciate ligaments repaired.
- Fractures – these range from the simple to the complicated. We have several different surgical solutions for these problems that can be tailored to each case, these include plate and screw fixation, pinning, external fixation, hybrid fixators, minimally invasive fracture repair (MIPO) and combinations of these techniques. We stock a wide range of implants to fit patients from the size of a chinchilla to an English Mastiff.
A hybrid ring fixator being used to treat a complicated tibial/fibula fracture.
- Osteochondrosis and joint problems – by using arthroscopy we can have a better look inside joints to assess any injuries and to treat problems without large wounds. This helps to reduce discomfort and allow an earlier return to normal limb use. Arthroscopic examination of meniscal injuries can increase the detection rate by 15-20%. Other joint issues that we treat include patella luxation and joint dislocations.
- Angular limb deformities – we have a variety of different methods to fix angular limb deformity issues including linear and hybrid ring external fixators, and bone plating.
Increasingly we are trying to integrate minimally invasive techniques in to our procedures in an effort to reduce post op discomfort, speed up healing and shorten anesthetic procedure time. These techniques are based on human procedures that have been modified to be used in small animals. This approach involves the use of unique instruments and implants and new approaches to bones and joints.
Every fracture has unique characteristics which mean that there may be several techniques that will give the desired result. Having several different treatment options allows us to optimize the repair for the patient and owner. This means that sometimes we will combine techniques to get the best result.