What's new in orthopedics for small animals?

The following article briefly introduce the evolution of older technologies to new, sophisticated methods and new therapeutic approaches in dealing with orthopedic problems. Most of these new methods are already in our clinic is applied successfully, thus was not a sci-fi but the medicine available for your dogs and cats with us.

In the early days of medicine for small animals, most of the fracture fixation bandages and address of the articular disease is treated conservatively. Veterinary orthopedics as such did not exist. Major pitfalls were still in the early nineties in our country a considerable lack of appropriate diagnostic technologies. X-ray was in small animal medicine, large luxury and quality of their images were often inadequate. Today we have the possibility of radio or even digital radiography, and of course better equipped for any veterinary work. Diagnostic benefit for us - orthopedics - but also implies a modern ultrasound, which at first glance appears unusual in relation to musculoskeletal problems. Utraso nograficke examination of tendons and muscles, but also the example of joint cartilage,However, it is extremely beneficial in many cases the only readily available and inexpensive diagnostic method in the context of soft tissue disorders of the locomotor apparatus. An example is the two-headed muscle tendon in the shoulder joint and calcaneal tendon dog, which are often injured (especially for large active dogs) and X-ray is not well displayed.
Perhaps the greatest advances in orthopedic diagnosis us since the beginning of the millennium brought about arthroscopy, a minimally invasive endoscopic examination of the joints. If this was the technique for most practicing veterinarians decade ago totally unavailable, it is now in our department, as well as a few others in the CR, on a day used the gold standard for diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the joints.Particularly important has become the solution of arthroscopy of elbow dysplasia, osteochondrosis leg or ankle or in the anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Should there be a situation where it is necessary to use modern, cross-sectional imaging techniques, such as computed tomography. Its use is currently limited but quite specific indications, but also because of the costs associated with this, still above the standard, testing.
For treatment of orthopedic problems there in recent years to unprecedented changes. There are still a new implant for fractures of the solutions that patients are often better tolerated and exhibit greater strength than those hitherto used.

full article can be found in the June issue of Animal Planet,Available at newsstands

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