IMPROVED DIAGNOSIS OF FOOT OSTEOARTHRITIS IN ELEPHANTS (ELEPHAS MAXIMUS, LOXODONTA AFRICANA) USING STEREORADIOGRAPHY.

Diagnosis of foot disease in elephants is challenging. Owing to their large size, the available diagnostic tools and the expense of imaging are diagnostically limiting. Stereoradiography is the preparation of paired radiographs that form a three-dimensional (3D) image when viewed stereoscopically. Clinicians and veterinary students graded osteoarthritis in the feet of African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) elephants taken postmortem with standard 2D radiographs, as well as 3D stereoradiographs. These gradings were compared with the actual gross pathology identified in the specimens. Although veterinary students diagnoses were no better than chance from 2D radiographs, 83.6% of the students could correctly differentiate severity between joints on stereoradiography; this is an absolute improvement of 30.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 19.6%-40.6%). Overall, participants were 27.4% (95% CI = 18.4%-36.3%) more successful at diagnosing pathology on stereoradiographs. Half of participants were shown standard 2D radiographs first, the others stereoradiographs first, but the difference in gradings between the two groups was not statistically significant. Stereoradiography appears to hold the potential to improve diagnosis of osteoarthritis in elephant feet, particularly by less experienced clinicians, and the technique is low-cost and applicable under field conditions.

Outcomes of Conservatively Managed Coracoid Fractures in Wild Birds in the United Kingdom.

Coracoid fractures are a frequent presentation in wild birds, commonly caused by collisions with motor vehicles, windows, or other obstacles such as pylons. Despite this, there are few reports of outcomes, and those published consist of small numbers of birds with conflicting results when comparing conservative management with surgical intervention. To determine outcome success of conservative management in a larger population of wild birds, records of 232 adult wild birds in the United Kingdom (UK) with closed unilateral coracoid fractures confirmed on radiography and surviving more than 48 hours after admission were retrospectively analyzed. Conservative management had a high success rate, with 75% (n = 174/232; 95% confidence limits [CL]: 69%, 80%) of all birds successfully released back to the wild. The proportion of raptors successfully returned to the wild was even higher at 97% (n = 34/35; 95% CL: 85%, 99%). A significant difference of 26% (95% CL: 18%, 34%, Fisher exact test, P < .001) was demonstrated when comparing the outcome success of raptors (97%, n = 34/35) to nonraptors (71%, n = 140/198). The median time in captive care until released back to the wild was 30 days (95% CL: 27, 33). Conservative management of coracoid fractures in wild birds in the UK, and in particular in raptors, appears to result in good outcomes. The approach is low cost and noninvasive, in contrast to surgery, and is recommended as the first-line approach of choice in these cases.