Orthopedic Surgery

Referring Veterinarians

Referring a client to Foster Hospital is easy with veterinarian liaison support.

The Orthopedic Surgery Service is overseen by our board-certified faculty, who specialize in treating all types of orthopedic trauma (fractures, luxations) and neurologic trauma (fractures and prolapsed intervertebral discs). In addition to surgery, the service also performs diagnostic evaluations of surgical candidates.

One of the more common orthopedic problems in small animals is a rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament in the knee, which is the number-one cause of hind-limb lameness in the dog. Another common condition is hip dysplasia. We perform corrective osteotomy or joint replacement for those cases which require surgery.

Additional procedures are offered for a variety of problems, including correction of angular limb deformities, developmental disorders (elbow dysplasia, patellar luxation) and any number of other general orthopedic issues. The orthopedic service also does consults on request for other services, generally lameness evaluation.

Use of advanced techniques for postoperative pain control is an important focus of the service. Postoperative monitoring by critical care veterinarians is available on a 24-hour basis for patients that require it.

The hospital also has a Soft Tissue Surgery Service for patients requiring surgery of soft-tissue problems, particularly of the chest and abdomen.

Advanced Techniques in Orthopedic Surgery

Arthroscopy
Total hip replacement
Early treatment for hip dysplasia (JPS, TPO, DPO)
Corrective osteotomy – angular limb deformities (CT planning and rapid prototyping models, i.e., 3-D printing)
Fracture repair and locked implants (4 locking plate systems with their specific indications; locked intramedullary nailing)
Fracture repair and external skeletal fixation (3 ESF systems with their specific indications)
Limb lengthening (growth deformities)
Stifle stabilization for cruciate ligament disease (TPLO)
Bone regeneration: rhBMP-2 [Treatment of nonunion and large defects (mandibular reconstruction)]
Minimally invasive fracture repair (C-arm)
Limb sparing techniques (tumor treatment)
Ligament and tendon reconstruction
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy
Sliding humeral osteotomy
Biceps tendon release for elbow dysplasia
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections for OA