Haematogenous osteomyelitis: clinical presentation and outcome in three dogs.

Haematogenous osteomyelitis is a rare form of bone infection in adult dogs. Most commonly the infection is iatrogenic or traumatic in origin. The authors report three different presentations of haematogenous osteomyelitis: a focal pelvic localisation in a growing dog, a vertebral lesion in an adult dog with associated neurological signs and a multifocal affection in another adult dog with concomitant pathological fractures. Clinical signs included pyrexia of undetermined origin, focal pain and lameness. Diagnostic investigation included radiographic imaging, bone scintigraphy, magnetic resonance imaging, surgical biopsy, and bacteriological culture with sensitivity testing of biopsy specimens as well as of peripheral blood samples. Treatment consisted of long-term antimicrobial therapy and surgical debridement with curettage of the pelvic abscess of the young dog and decompressive hemilaminectomy of the second dog, with excellent recovery. The dog affected by polyostotic bone involvement and suffering pathological fractures was euthanatized. Haematogenous osteomyelitis may be a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge and may present as a devastating skeletal condition, even in adult dogs, and should be considered amongst the differential diagnoses early on to allow effective treatment.

Effects of autologous platelet rich plasma gel and calcium phosphate biomaterials on bone healing in an ulnar ostectomy model in dogs.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the bone healing properties of an osteopromotive platelet rich plasma (PRP) gel in combination with osteoconductive calcium phosphate (CaP) ceramic granules in a long-bone critical size defect in dogs. A standardised 2 cm long ulnar ostectomy was performed bilaterally in four dogs to compare new-bone formation by CaP matrix with and without association with PRP. Radiographic and histological evaluations were performed blindly. Radiographic evaluation was performed at three, six, nine, 12 and 16 weeks postoperatively. Quantitative measurements of new-bone formation were compared using statistical analysis. At explantation 16 weeks after surgery, no significant ossification was present, neither with CaP granules alone nor in association with PRP gel, and there was no difference of radiodensity between the groups. Qualitative histological evaluation demonstrated for both types of implants the presence of non-mineralised fibrous connective tissue around the CaP granules. New-bone formation was only present to a very small extent within the macropores of the CaP granules at the distal bone-implant interface. In our model which exhibited very limited osteoconduction, neither the CaP granules alone nor in association with PRP were sufficient to stimulate bone healing. In this canine model employing a critical size ulnar gap, the combination of CaP granules and PRP did not effectively promote bone regeneration.

MMP-2 as an early synovial biomarker for cranial cruciate ligament disease in dogs.

OBJECTIVES: To measure the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and -9 in synovial fluid from the stifle joints of dogs with cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) rupture and to compare that to values from contralateral stifle joints and dogs with clinically normal stifle joints. Additionally, the C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were also measured. METHODS: Fourteen large breed dogs with unilateral CrCL rupture and 11 large breed normal dogs were included in this prospective clinical study. Synovial fluid was collected from CrCL-ruptured stifle joints, contralateral clinically normal stifle joints of the same dogs, and stifle joints of normal dogs. Serum was also collected. Synovial fluid activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and serum CRP level were measured. RESULTS: The MMP-2 activity in synovial fluid was significantly higher in CrCL-ruptured joints compared to contralateral joints and to stifles from normal dogs. There was no significant difference in activity of MMP-2 in contralateral joints of CrCL-ruptured dogs compared to normal dogs. Both serum CRP level and MMP-9 activity did not differ significantly between the studied conditions. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: It was confirmed that MMP-2 activity is significantly related to CrCL rupture, but there was a failure to demonstrate any significant increase in the contralateral joints compared to the stifle joints of normal dogs. The MMP-2 involvement in progressing CrCL disease still has to be defined.

Matrix metalloproteinase activity in stifle synovial fluid of cranial cruciate ligament deficient dogs and effect of postoperative doxycycline treatment.

This prospective clinical study investigated the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in stifle synovial fluid (SF) of 13 dogs with acute cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture, and the effect of a postoperative doxycycline treatment. MMP-2, 3, 9 and 13 activities were compared with respect to the time of sampling (preoperatively or 1 month after surgical stabilisation) and the type of postoperative adjuvant treatment (doxycycline or not). No significant activity was detected for both MMP-3 and MMP-13. MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities were found to be significantly highly increased in SF of CCL ruptured stifles compared to control stifles of unaffected dogs. No significant effect from surgical stabilisation and postoperative doxycycline treatment on MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities was found, indicating that doxycycline may not be an appropriate postoperative medical treatment after CCL rupture.