Orthopaedic Surgical Cases and Solutions

As a clinical surgeon working in both academia and private practice, Dr McCarthy receives many clinically relevant questions from general practitioners daily. Some questions appear repeatedly, suggesting both that the clinical problem is common in private practice and a general lack of training by teaching institutions on these specific issues. In this lecture, frequently asked questions from private practitioners will be answered and discussed in a case-based approach. Included in the discussion will be topics such as:

• How to diagnose and treat hock OCD.
• Exercise in puppies and the development of orthopaedic disease. What is the risk and of what conditions?
• Capital physeal fractures in cats.
• Is intra-articular injection a good method to manage chronic arthritis and pain?
• Are there better options for treating postoperative pain in patients that must be discharged the day of surgery?
• Can cranial cruciate ligament injury be diagnosed in a dog without cranial drawer, and if so how?

The goal of this lecture is to provide improved understanding of several orthopaedic surgical conditions frequently encountered in private practice so that practitioners can advise their clients regarding best course of action both for diagnosis and treatment.