Repair of femoral fractures in calves via external skeletal fixator with intramedullary pin tie-in.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the success rate and associated complications of external skeletal fixator/intramedullary pin tie-in for calf femoral fracture fixation. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical retrospective. ANIMALS: Ten calves, less than 30 days old, with diaphyseal/metaphyseal femoral fractures. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed from the University of Wisconsin from 2000 to 2020. Fractures were repaired using open reduction and fixation. An intramedullary Steinman pin was placed, exiting near the greater trochanter, and utilized for fracture reduction. Bicortical transfixation pins were placed distal and proximal to the fracture site. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-filled tubing connected the transfixation pins and proximal intramedullary pin, creating a Type 1a external skeletal fixator (ESF) tie-in. Follow up was obtained via medical records and phone interviews. RESULTS: Short-term survival rate was 7/10 (70%). Postanesthetic death occurred once. Postoperative complications occurred in all remaining cases. The most common findings were transfixation pin tract lucency and lameness (6/9 cases), implant dysfunction (5/9 cases), and infection (4/9 cases). Three of five cases with long-term follow up survived; all went on to productive careers. CONCLUSION: Although patients were prone to postoperative complications, short-term survival was comparable to previous reports. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The external skeletal fixator/intramedullary (ESF/IM) pin tie-in is less expensive and offers comparable success rates to other methods, providing a lower cost option for calf femoral fracture repair.

One-step laparoscopy-guided abomasopexy versus omentopexy via right flank laparotomy to treat left displaced abomasum in dairy cows, in relation to return of milk yield.

This study compared two surgical techniques for treating left displaced abomasum (LDA) in dairy cows. The two techniques were compared in terms of milk production at different time intervals: before surgery; on the day of the surgery; and at 8, 15 and 30 days after surgery. The surgical techniques used in this study were laparoscopy-guided abomasopexy and right flank laparotomy omentopexy. A total of 126 lactating Holstein-Friesian cows with LDA were included, 63 of which were treated with laparoscopy, and 63 with right flank laparotomy. Cows with retained foetal membranes, metritis or natural delivery (dystocia) were included and registered on field sheets for subsequent statistical analysis. Cows with clinical mastitis were excluded. A blood sample (5 mL) was obtained from the medial coccygeal vein and analyzed for total proteins, total bilirubin, total calcium, glucose, b-hydroxybutyrate, sodium, potassium, and chloride. No differences were found between the two groups of operated cows with respect to the number of lactation days, body condition score (BCS), rectal temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate before surgery. No differences were observed between groups regarding the biochemical parameters (P > 0.05) analyzed, except for chloride, which presented lower average values in the omentopexy group (P <0.05). Return of milk yield within the study period did not differ significantly between the laparoscopy and laparotomy groups (P > 0.05), although a significant change in post-surgery time was observed. .

Surgical stabilisation of distal femoral fractures in calves using a triple pin technique: Twenty-five cases.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to develop a safe fixation technique for the effective treatment of supracondylar and distal diaphyseal femoral fractures in newborn calves. METHODS: This study included a total of 25 newborn calves diagnosed with supracondylar or distal diaphyseal femoral fractures based on anamnesis and clinical and radiographic examination findings. Operations were performed under intrathecal anaesthesia. During the operation, the fracture line was found, and fixation was achieved by placing two Steinmann and Schanz pins. RESULTS: No abnormal findings were seen in the radiographs performed 28 days after surgery, and it was determined that a hard callus had started to form. It was observed that the patients who had lightly stepped on the ground for the first 3 days after the operation were able to walk without any problems on day 28. LIMITATIONS: As this study involved neonatal calves aged 1-14 days, the operation could only be performed under spinal anaesthesia with no sedation. However, sedation is likely to be applied in addition to spinal anaesthesia in older calves. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the triple pin technique can be safely used in the treatment of supracondylar and distal diaphyseal femoral fractures.

[Laparoscopic ovariectomy in a beef cow]. / Laparoskopische Ovariektomie bei einer Mutterkuh.

A 13.25-year-old Tyrol Grey cow was presented to the Clinic for Ruminants at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen with the request to have the animal castrated after having experienced dystocia. The cow had already given birth to 10 live calves by this time and was kept on pasture in a herd of cows and one bull. As the owner did not intend to continue breeding the cow, but still wanted to keep the animal, he brought the cow to the clinic. The animal was presented 6 weeks after calving with a calf at foot. The calf was in good general health, displayed good developmental and nutritional status and did not show any clinical abnormalities. The general, as well as the gynecological examination of the cow, were unremarkable. During the transrectal examination, the uterus could be gathered in the hand. The uterus was flaccid, not filled with fluid, and the uterine wall showed no abnormalities. The ovaries measured 3×2x2 cm on the left and 3.5 × 2.5 × 2 cm on the right. The left ovary showed no functional structures and only a few follicles were palpated on the right side. Vaginoscopy did not reveal any abnormal findings. Due to the physiological puerperium, the cow was castrated by means of laparoscopic ovariectomy. The animal was left standing, and the surgery was performed from the left flank. In the days after the surgical procedure, the cow was in good general health, showed no pain at all during transrectal palpation of the amputation sites and was reintegrated into the herd two days post-surgery. The case presented here is intended to demonstrate the technique of endoscopy-assisted ovariectomy. It also intends to argue that castrating cows is an effective means of keeping cows in the herd, even if they are no longer bred. This seems to be of increasing interest, especially for beef cattle farmers and hobby farmers.

Laparoscopy assisted abomasal cannulation in cadavers of bovine fetuses.

BACKGROUND: Due to the complexity of ruminant digestion, cannulation of organs of the digestive tract has been carried out in order to advance the understanding of digestive physiology, nutrient degradability, gastrointestinal diseases and biotechnological research. The abomasal cannulation is interesting for nutritional studies, especially in suckling calves, to obtain fluid and abomasal content, evaluation of abomasal flow and function, and infusion of nutrients and drugs when it is intended to reach high concentrations in the organ. Conventionally, access and cannulation of digestive organs of ruminants has been performed by laparotomy, a method often criticized and classified as cruel by some sectors related to ethics and animal welfare. The aim of this present study is to describe and standardize a minimally invasive by laparoscopy assisted abomasal cannulation in bovine fetuses (cadavers), which had been previously slaughtered by accident and would be discarded in local slaughterhouses. RESULTS: The abomasal cannulation technique was feasible, simple and did not present major difficulties. The surgical time for cannulation of the abomasum, from the insertion of the trocars to the completion of the technique with fixation of the organ to the abdominal wall, ranged from 9 to 27 min, with an average of 15.5 ± 6.62 min. CONCLUSIONS: The Laproscopic assisted abomasal cannulation in bovine fetuses was feasible and safe with minimal tissue injury to the abdominal wall and with short surgical time. More studies in the clinical routine related to minimally invasive abomasal content collection, abomasopexy and abomasotomy are required in order to demonstrate its impact and importance in bovine clinic.

Inclusão da ligadura da artéria e veia córnea com abraçadeira de naylon para descorna em bovinos / Inclusion of ligadura artery and vein cornea naylon with the clamp to dehorning in cattle / Inclusión de ligadura arteria y la vena cornea naylon con la pinza para descorne de los bovinos

A descorna cirúrgica a campo ainda e uma prática comum em animais de produção, apesar deste procedimento na maioria ainda se realizado por leigos, ou realizada em animais com menos de um ano de idade com ferro candente (avermelhado), esta conduta geralmente é efetuada na propriedade, sendo executada pelo próprio proprietário ou funcionário. O presente experimento usando anestesia geral e bloqueio local do nervo córneo e circularmente na base do corno com abraçadeira de naylon para sutura de pele, associada a ligadura da artéria e veia cornual mostrou ser eficiente reduzindo o tempo cirúrgico a campo e promovendo uma prevenção antecipada de hemorragia que é frequente para este procedimento.(AU)

The surgical dehorning the field and still a common practice in farm animals, although this procedure in most still held by lay people, or performed on animals less than one year old with red-hot iron (red), this conduct is usually done on the property, being executed by the owner himself or employee. This experiment using general anesthesia and local lock of corneal nerve and round the horn base with clamp naylon for skin suture, associated with ligature of the artery and vein cornual is efficient by reducing surgical time field and promoting an early prevention of bleeding is frequent for this procedure.(AU)

El quirúrgica descorne el campo quieto y una práctica común en los animales de granja, aunque este procedimiento en la mayoría todavía en manos de los laicos, o lleva a cabo en animales de menos de un año de edad con hierro al rojo vivo (rojo), este comportamiento se realiza generalmente en la propiedad, los trabajos realizados por el propietario o el propio empleado. Este experimento usando anestesia bloques general y local de los nervios de la córnea y alrededor de la base del cuerno con naylon pinza de sutura de la piel, asociados con la ligadura de la vena y la arteria cornual fue eficiente que reduce el tiempo quirúrgico el campo y la promoción de una prevención temprana sangrado que es común para este procedimiento.(AU)

Comparison between barbed and conventional sutures for longitudinal thelotomy closure in an ex-vivo bovine model.

Objective: To determine differences in suture time and bursting strength on a longitudinal thelotomy closure using innovative barbed versus conventional smooth suture materials. Sample population: Twenty-four teats from 6 udders of culled beef cows. Study design: Experimental ex-vivo surgical study. Methods: Thelotomies (length: 2 cm) were performed on every teat and randomly allocated to closure with either a 3-0 bidirectional barbed suture for both mucosa and connective layers or a conventional 3-layer suture, using 3-0 smooth polydioxanone. For both groups, skin was closed with 2-0 polypropylene monofilament suture. Duration of suturing time for inner layers and bursting strength of the repair were recorded and compared. Results: Suturing was faster with barbed versus conventional sutures (527.7 ± 64.5 versus 727.1 ± 60.7 s, respectively; P < 0.0001). However, bursting strength was not significantly different between the 2 types of sutures. Conclusion: Using the barbed suture significantly reduced the time required to suture the mucosa and conjunctiva layers, with no significant difference between sutures in their bursting strength. Clinical significance: Bidirectional barbed suture material is suitable for closure of thelotomies in cattle.

Comparaison entre les sutures barbelées et conventionnelles pour la fermeture de la thélotomie longitudinale dans un modèle bovin ex-vivo. Objectif: Déterminer les différences de temps de suture et de résistance à l'éclatement sur une fermeture de thélotomie longitudinale en utilisant des matériaux de suture barbelés innovants par rapport aux matériaux de suture lisses conventionnels. Échantillon de population: Vingt-quatre tétines provenant de six pis de vaches de boucherie réformées. Étudier le design: Étude chirurgicale expérimentale ex-vivo. Méthodes: Des thélotomies (longueur : 2 cm) ont été réalisées sur chaque trayon et attribuées au hasard à la fermeture avec soit une suture barbelée bidirectionnelle 3-0 pour la muqueuse et les couches de tissu conjonctif, soit une suture conventionnelle à trois couches, utilisant du polydioxanone lisse 3-0. Pour les deux groupes, la peau a été fermée avec une suture en monofilament de polypropylène 2-0. La durée du temps de suture pour les couches internes et la résistance à l'éclatement de la réparation ont été enregistrées et comparées. Résultats: La suture était plus rapide avec les sutures barbelés par rapport aux sutures conventionnelles (527,7 ± 64,5 contre 727,1 ± 60,7 s, respectivement; P < 0,0001). Cependant, la résistance à l'éclatement n'était pas significativement différente entre les deux types de sutures. Conclusion: L'utilisation de la suture barbelée a considérablement réduit le temps nécessaire pour suturer les couches de la muqueuse et de tissu conjonctif, sans différence significative entre les sutures dans leur résistance à l'éclatement. Signification clinique: Le matériau de suture barbelé bidirectionnel convient à la fermeture des thélotomies chez les bovins.(Traduit par Dr Serge Messier).

Review on a cesarean section in the cow: Its incision approaches, relative advantage, and disadvantages.

Dystocia is an abnormal and difficult birth in which the first or the second stage of labour is markedly prolonged and subsequently found impossible for the dam to deliver without artificial aid. In cattle, it can be relieved by different obstetric methods, including the cesarean operation and fetotomy. Caesarean section is the extraction of the fetus or foeti from the dam, through a surgical opening in the abdominal wall and the uterus. This surgical method can be performed by about eight alternative surgical approaches in bovines with its advantages and disadvantages. However, the selection is dependent on many factors like the type of dystocia, the cows and environmental conditions, the availability of assistants, and the surgeon's preference. For cows, most surgeons use a standing left paralumbar celiotomy. However, the left oblique approach is also preferable under most circumstances because the uterus is readily exteriorized, limiting peritoneal cavity contamination. Besides, alternative approaches are also available that will further limit the potential for contamination but many junior surgeons perform the left paralumbar celiotomy using the same approach each time due to their comfort with one specific approach or lack of familiarity with other available options. Therefore, the objective of this review is to provide basic insights and highlight the cesarean section incision approaches with their relative advantages and disadvantages in cows.

The use of circular and hybrid external skeletal fixation systems to repair open tibial fractures in large ruminants: a report of six clinical cases.

A prospective clinical study consisting of six bovines (200-300 kg body weight) undergoing open tibial fractures was carried out, to evaluate the use of circular and hybrid external skeletal fixation (ESF) systems for open tibial fracture repair in large ruminants. The ESF systems consisting of 4 full rings (n = 2), 8 half-rings (n = 1), 2 full rings with 2 sidebars (n = 2) or 2 full rings with 4 sidebars (n = 1) were used to treat open tibial fractures. The healing progress of the animals was evaluated based on different clinical and radiographic examinations. The level of fracture reduction, alignment, and fixation ranged between satisfactory to adequate in all the animals. The fixators were well tolerated and maintained by the animals till the complete repair of the fracture. Adequate fracture healing with satisfactory functional recovery was observed in all the animals in about 3-4 months. The different designs of ESFs were found to provide adequate stability in open tibial fractures in animals weighing 200-300 kg. However, the fixators need to be evaluated in numerous clinical cases to establish their suitability in routine clinical settings.

Cirugía taurina en el siglo XXI. De la gloria al desprecio / Taurine surgery in the 21st century from glory to contempt

La cirugía taurina ha pasado de ser algo de lo que el cirujano presumía en todos los ámbitos de su entorno a ser una actividad mal vista desde el punto de vista social e incluyó en nuestro gremio quirúrgico. Sin embargo, los festejos taurinos populares siguen siendo muy frecuentes, con miles de heridos cada año, algunos de ellos graves. Actualmente, la atención sanitaria en festejos taurinos está inmersa en una problemática compleja debido principalmente a cuatro aspectos: 1) desprestigio social y profesional, 2) actividad profesional mal pagada, 3) abandono por las instituciones profesionales y académicas, y 4) falta de un cuerpo de doctrina específico. Todo esto está conllevando a que los equipos de atención sanitaria en cirugía taurina sean cada vez menos profesionalizados y más inexpertos, y a problemas de intrusismo profesional. Esta situación está repercutiendo directamente en la calidad asistencial prestada y en la morbimortalidad de la población herida, con las implicaciones legales que conlleva. Es necesaria una reestructuración de esta situación y el apoyo de las instituciones profesionales, sobre todo de los Colegios de Médicos, y de las instituciones académicas. (AU)

Bullfighting surgery has gone from being something that the surgeon presumed in all areas of his environment to being an activity frowned upon from a social point of view and included in our surgical guild. However, popular bullfighting festivities are still very frequent, with thousands of injured each year, some of them serious. Currently, health care in bullfighting festivals is immersed in a complex problem mainly due to four aspects: 1) social and professional discredit, 2) poorly paid professional activity, 3) abandonment by professional and academic institutions, and 4) lack of a specific body of doctrine. All this is leading to the health care teams in bullfighting surgery being less and less professionalized and more inexperienced, to problems of professional intrusion, and consequently is having a direct impact on the quality of care provided and on the morbidity and mortality of the injured population, with the legal implications that it entails. A restructuring of this situation and the support of professional institutions, especially Medical Associations, and academic institutions, is necessary. (AU)

Disbudding affects use of a shelter provided to group-housed dairy calves.

Disbudding in dairy calves is well established as a painful procedure with broad effects on behavior. The hypothesis of this experiment was that group-housed calves subjected to hot-iron disbudding would exhibit social withdrawal, based on use of a shelter providing physical and visual seclusion from the rest of the pen. We examined effects of hot-iron disbudding on use of this shelter, including individual and shared use, and resting behavior within the shelter. Holstein heifer and bull calves (n = 24) were housed in group pens (4 calves/pen; 3.7 × 8.0 m). Each pen contained a 3-sided open-top shelter (1.2 m square, and 1.2 m high) with an additional half-enclosed wall to allow entry, built out of corrugated plastic. Calves were randomly assigned within pen to be disbudded (n = 12; 10 bulls and 2 heifers; 36.2 ± 3.9 d of age) or receive sham handling only (n = 12; 9 bulls and 3 heifers; 36.3 ± 4.2 d of age). Disbudded calves received a local cornual nerve block and a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medication before the procedure. Behavior was recorded continuously from video for 3 consecutive days, beginning immediately following the disbudding procedure or handling. Shelter use was highly variable between calves (ranging from 10.8 min/d to 20.7 h/d), but calves showed individual consistency in their use of the shelter over time. Disbudded calves spent more time in the shelter (4.6 vs. 1.6 h/d; disbudded vs. sham). Social use of the shelter as a percentage of shelter use was not affected by disbudding, but disbudded calves spent more time in the shelter together (31 vs. 9% of shelter use; disbudded vs. sham). Disbudded calves entered the shelter more frequently when it was unoccupied (8.1 vs. 5.5 entries; disbudded vs. sham) and similarly left it more frequently when it was occupied. Disbudded calves used the shelter more during daylight hours (0700 to 2000 h; 8.9 vs. 4.1 min/h) on each day, including d 0 when pain mitigation was effective, whereas use did not differ during the night. Disbudded calves spent approximately 40 min less time lying/d and spent a greater percentage of their lying time inside the shelter. These results suggest that disbudded calves make greater use of environmental features that offer seclusion, with use of the shelter possibly reflecting an increased preference for social withdrawal or for some other aspect of this area of visual and physical separation. Further, these results suggest that disbudding even with recommended pain mitigation affects behavior for at least several days.

Development of a surgical technique for long-term catheterisation of bovine fetuses.

The aim of this study was to further develop and extensively describe a surgical technique in order to realise long-term fetal blood sampling in the bovine species. Eleven Holstein-Friesian 6- to 8-month pregnant cows (4-10 years old) were used for this study. Gestational age on the day of surgery varied from approximately 180 days (n = 1) to 240 days (minimum: 232 days, maximum 252 days; n = 10). The fetal medial tarsal artery was catheterised in pregnant cows with a polyvinyl catheter in dorsal recumbency under general anaesthesia. Although 5 out of 11 operations (45.5%) performed between 232 and 252 days of gestation were lost due to different causes mainly associated with peritonitis and septicaemia, the mean interval between operations and calvings was 42.5 days (between 27 and 95 days). It is important to emphasise that a well-trained surgical team is needed for bovine fetal cannulation in order to be able to decrease the risk factors during the operations. Due to the fact that after 5 unsuccessful cases none of the pregnancies were lost, this skill can be reached, and our technique can enable bovine fetal blood sampling for long-term endocrinological and physiological investigations before and during parturition.

Veterinary Students Have a Higher Risk of Contracting Cryptosporidiosis when Calves with High Fecal Cryptosporidium Loads Are Used for Fetotomy Exercises.

An outbreak of cryptosporidiosis among veterinary students performing fetotomy exercises on euthanized calves took place in September 2018 in Denmark. A prospective cohort investigation was performed to identify risk factors and provide guidance for preventing outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis in this setting. Ninety-seven students attended the fetotomy exercises and completed a questionnaire about symptoms and potential risk behavior. Real-time PCR was used to detect Cryptosporidium spp. in stool samples from students and to quantify the fecal parasite load in the calves used for the exercises. gp60 subtyping was carried out for the Cryptosporidium-positive samples. Our case definition was based on participation in a fetotomy exercise, reported symptoms, and laboratory results. Eleven laboratory-confirmed or probable cases (11%) were identified in two outbreaks during the prospective study period, with attack rates of 4/10 (40%) and 7/9 (78%), respectively. The risk factors for cryptosporidiosis we identified were performing the exercise on a diarrheic calf, reporting visible fecal contamination on the personal protective equipment (PPE), and reporting problems with PPE during the exercise. Cryptosporidium parvum IIaA15G2R1 was detected in both cases and calves. A significantly higher proportion of the calves aged 7 days old and above were positive compared with younger calves. Furthermore, a high fecal Cryptosporidium load in a calf was associated with a higher probability of an outbreak among the students. Based on our results, using noninfected calves for the exercises, appropriate use of PPE, and thorough hand hygiene are recommended to reduce the risk of contracting cryptosporidiosis in connection with fetotomy exercises.IMPORTANCECryptosporidium spp. can cause severe diarrhea in infected individuals. Cryptosporidium parvum is zoonotic, and cattle are the main reservoir. In several countries, outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis have occurred in veterinary students after handling calves. We carried out a 1-year-long prospective study to investigate the occurrence of these recurrent cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in Denmark. Our investigation used a One Health approach and combined comprehensive epidemiological approaches and laboratory methods applied to both students and calves in the setting of the fetotomy exercises. Two outbreaks took place during the study period; additionally, we retrospectively identified two more suspected outbreaks prior to the study period. The results illustrated a high risk of contracting cryptosporidiosis among veterinary students in the setting of the fetotomy exercises, especially when using calves with high fecal Cryptosporidium loads. Our data can be used to inform future efforts to prevent transmission of Cryptosporidium parvum to students during fetotomy exercises.

Behavioral changes in calves 11 days after cautery disbudding: Effect of local anesthesia.

Hot-iron disbudding results in painful burn wounds that take weeks to heal. Spontaneous behaviors indicative of pain are apparent in the immediate hours after disbudding, but whether they occur later in the healing process is unknown. To evaluate whether ongoing pain was present around the time the necrotic tissue loosens from the scalp, we tested the effect of administration of local anesthetic 11 d after the procedure. Disbudded female Holstein and Jersey calves (n = 24) were randomly assigned to receive an injection of local anesthetic (lidocaine) or saline at the cornual nerve on both sides of the head. We recorded the frequency of 8 behaviors for 75 min: head shakes, head rubs, head scratches, ear flicks, tail flicks, bucks/jumps/kicks, grooming, and transitions between standing and lying. Calves treated with lidocaine shook their heads less and tended to flick their ears less than calves administered saline, consistent with the effects of pain relief previously reported in the immediate hours after disbudding. These calves also rubbed their head against the sides of the pen more often, suggesting lidocaine suppressed wound protective behavior. Head shaking and head scratching became more common in the last 25 min compared with the first 50 min in calves treated with lidocaine, consistent with the return of sensation to the disbudding wounds. No treatment differences in the other behaviors were observed. These results suggest that calves experience ongoing pain 11 d after hot-iron disbudding, adding to a growing body of evidence that pain persists for weeks after the procedure.

Arthroscopic approaches to and anatomy of the shoulder joint of cattle: a cadaver study.

BACKGROUND: Arthroscopic surgery is described as a minimally invasive technique for diagnosis, exploration and treatment of joint disorders. It allows intraarticular structures to be assessed accurately, thereby improving the diagnostic capabilities, and it broadens the spectrum of surgical techniques feasible for treatment of articular pathologies in cattle. This study aimed to assess for cattle the described arthroscopic approaches to the shoulder joint of horses, and to describe the appearance of the corresponding intraarticular structures of the shoulder joint. Additionally, to perform histological examination where tissues were identified and assessed arthroscopically, but the tissue type was uncertain using cadaveric limbs from cattle of different age categories without any signs of orthopedic diseases of the front limbs. RESULTS: An anatomic and arthroscopic investigation with 34-cadaveric forelimbs from 20-cattle was performed. The arthroscope was inserted either immediately cranial or 1-cm caudal to the tendon of the infraspinatus muscle for the cranial and caudal approaches, respectively. The shoulder joints were examined with the limbs in either horizontal non-pulled position, abducted non-pulled position using a three-pod limb holder adjustable in height, or horizontal manually pulled position. Arthroscopy was performed using a rigid 30°arthroscope (18-cm length, 4-mm outer diameter) to view the synovial pouches with their synovial villi and the following structures: cranial rim of the glenoid, cranial portion of the humeral head, incisura-glenoidalis, caudal rim of the glenoid, caudal portion of the humeral head, and cranial and caudal cul-de-sac. Abduction of the limb allowed improved visualization of the lateral portion of the joint. Pulling the limb facilitated investigation of the medial portion of the joint. Generally, the distention range was higher in younger as compared to adult cattle, and visualization of the medial portion of the joint was, therefore, facilitated in younger animals. The main complications observed were subcutaneous fluid extravasations and partial-thickness articular cartilages wear-lines. CONCLUSION: The described arthroscopic techniques allowed good overall visualization of the most relevant anatomical structures within the healthy cadaveric joint. Further investigations are warranted to evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of these techniques and the prognosis of arthroscopic surgery as a tool for the treatment of joint lesions.

Transposition of the common carotid artery in standing cattle.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a method for permanent transposition of the common carotid artery (CCA) in standing cattle. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study. ANIMALS: Eight healthy, adult, lactating Holstein-Friesian cows. METHODS: Cows were restrained with the head and neck extended by using halters, head catch, and squeeze chute. Surgery was performed under local anesthesia and intravenous sedation. The right CCA was approached through a skin incision dorsal and parallel to the jugular vein. The skin incision was extended through the brachiocephalicus and longus capitus muscles. When the vessel was present, ligation of accessory vessels of the CCA and internal jugular vein was performed to facilitate exposure. The artery was sharply dissected from the carotid sheath and elevated by using Penrose drains. The muscles were closed in two layers, leaving the artery in a subcutaneous position. The incision was protected with a tie-over bandage for 1 week. Sampling from the CCA was initiated approximately 6 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: The CCA was successfully transposed and used for repeated arterial blood sampling in all eight cows. No cows had intraoperative complications or evidence of surgical site infection. One cow had a postoperative suture reaction at the site of a suture used for maintaining the tie-over bandage. All arteries remained patent for use in subsequent studies. CONCLUSION: Permanent translocation of the CCA was successful in all cows in this study and consistently allowed serial arterial blood sampling. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Common carotid artery translocation is possible without general anesthesia in adult cattle and is useful in studies requiring serial sampling of arterial blood.

Virtual implantations to transition from porcine to bovine animal models for a total artificial heart.

Realheart total artificial heart (TAH) is a novel, pulsatile, four-chamber total artificial heart which had been successfully tested acutely in a porcine animal model. However, the bovine model is better suited for long-term testing and thus an evaluation of how the design would fit the bovine anatomy was required. Virtual implantation is a method that enables a computer simulated implantation based on anatomical 3D-models created from computer tomography images. This method is used clinically, but not yet adopted for animal studies. Herein, we evaluated its suitability in the redesign of the outer dimensions and vessel connections of Realheart TAH to transition from the porcine to the bovine animal model. Virtual implantations in combination with bovine cadaver studies enabled a series of successful acute bovine implantations. Virtual implantations are a useful tool to replace the use of animals in early device development and refine subsequent necessary in vivo experiments. The next steps are to carry out human virtual implantations and cadaver studies to ensure the design is optimized for all stages of testing as well as the final recipient.

Potential benefit of a thoracic squeeze technique in two newborn calves delivered by caesarean section.

Case History: Two calves delivered following elective caesarean section showed behaviour typical of neonatal maladjustment syndrome described in foals, i.e., indifference to environmental stimuli, lack of affinity for the dam, failure to find the udder, refusal to suck, aimless wandering or motionless standing. Calves were subjected to a clinical examination immediate after delivery and there were no signs of defects, illness, pain, dehydration, hypoxia, acidaemia or other causes for the unresponsive behaviour.Clinical Findings and Treatment: Both calves were subjected to the thoracic squeeze technique, one at 6 hours and the other at 20 hours after delivery. A soft rope was looped around the thorax and gentle pressure was applied to the free end of the rope, squeezing the calf's chest for 20 minutes. Both calves exhibited a sleep-like state manifested by closed eyes, no body movements, slow breathing and a decrease in heart rate, for the entire squeezing period. When the rope was removed the calves woke up immediately, rose and walked towards the dam. When led to the dam's udder, the weaker calf began to suck. Both were reported, by the stockperson, to follow the dam and suck normally the following day.Clinical Relevance: Provided all other disease processes are excluded, very young calves that exhibit indifference to environmental stimuli and lack of affinity for the dam may be good candidates for application of the thoracic squeeze technique that has been demonstrated to have clinical efficacy in foals with neonatal maladjustment syndrome.