Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J Harari.
Osteochondrosis can occur in the stifle joint(s) of young, rapidly growing large breeds of dogs. Although not as common as osteochondrosis of the shoulder, elbow, and hock joints, the osteochondral defect in the femoral condyle(s) and stifle joint fragment can cause a clinically apparent lameness. Radiography is beneficial in identifying the lesion(s), and surgical therapy is useful in restoring limb function.
Clinical evaluation of the osteoarthritic patient involves critical evaluation off the animal and associated medical history. The most useful diagnostic aids in veterinary practice include joint palpation, radiography, and arthrocentesis. Accurate patient assessment provides diagnostic and prognostic information as well as serving as a baseline for medical or surgical therapies.
A transverse tibial fracture and bone sequestrum at the pin-bone interface were diagnosed in a dog treated with external skeletal fixation for tarsal arthrodesis. The causes of the bone fracture were improper use of external fixator pins and trauma after the fixator became entangled in a fence. After removal of the original fixator, the tibial fracture was successfully repaired with an intramedullary pin, a type II external skeletal fixator and an autogenous cancellous bone graft. Bone sequestration and draining sinuses were successfully treated with curettage and antimicrobial therapy.
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The increase in gun ownership and shootings of dogs and cats in urban and rural areas has made it important for veterinarians to be familiar with the treatment of gunshot injuries. The damage inflicted on the soft tissues and bone depends on the type of firearm used and the range at which it was fired. Proper initial evaluation and management are critical in the treatment of these injuries. Fractures caused by gunshots are contaminated and can often be stabilized with external fixation. Complications and special considerations of these fractures and associated soft tissue injuries are discussed.
Successful prostatic surgery requires aggressive perioperative animal patient management, accurate identification of the disease process, and proper surgical techniques. Overcoming the complications associated with urinary incontinence, sepsis, and neoplasia will help reduce animal patient morbidity and mortality.
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Thermoregulatory abilities, which may play a role in physiological adaptations, were compared between two field mouse species (Apodemus mystacinus and A. hermonensis) from Mount Hermon. While A. hermonensis is common at altitudes above 2100 m, A. mystacinus is common at 1650 m. The following variables were compared in mice acclimated to an ambient temperature of 24 degrees C with a photoperiod of 12L:12D, body temperature during exposure to 4 degrees C for 6 h, O2 consumption and body temperature at various ambient temperature, non-shivering thermogenesis measured as a response to a noradrenaline injection, and the daily rhythm of body temperature. Both species could regulate their body temperature at ambient temperatures between 6 and 34 degrees C. The thermoneutral zone for A. mystacinus lies between 28 and 32 degrees C, while for A. hermonensis a thermoneutral point is noted at 28 degrees C. Both species increased O2 consumption and body temperature as a response to noradrenalin. However, maximal VO2 consumption as an response to noradrenaline and non-shivering thermogenesis capacity were higher in A. mystacinus, even though A. hermonensis is half the size of A. mystacinus. The body temperature rhythm in A. hermonensis has a clear daily pattern, while A. mystacinus can be considered arhythmic. The results suggest that A. hermonensis is adapted to its environment by an increase in resting metabolic rate but also depends on behavioural thermoregulation. A. mystacinus depends more on an increased non-shivering thermogenesis capacity.
In small animals, CaCL injury occurs infrequently and is associated with isolated ruptures, attachment (bone) avulsions, or combined with multiple ligament injury of the stifle joint. Definitive diagnosis of CaCL usually requires direct examination of the stifle joint because detection of caudal drawer motion is confusing and may be masked by concurrent, possibly more significant lesions. Although the ligament is considered a primary stabilizer of the canine stifle joint, controversy exists regarding the need for surgical repair of CaCL injury. Although reattachment of avulsion injuries seems prudent, results of other stabilizing procedures for midsubstance tears have produced patients with minimal lameness and persistent drawer motion. Based on limited clinical and experimental data, it is conceivable that surgical stabilization of the CaCL-deficient stifle joint may not be necessary in small animals, although more clinical studies would be useful in conclusively delineating the role of this ligament.
Triple-phase bone scintigraphy was used to evaluate tissue viability in the forelimb of a dog after gunshot injury. This technique was reliable, noninvasive, and easily performed. It was used to complement radiography by providing functional, rather than structural, assessment of tissues on the basis of regional vascular patterns. In this dog, vascular impairment caused by trauma appeared as photopenic or "cold" spots during immediate (vascular), soft tissue and bone phases of the scintigraphic study. On the basis of gross morphologic and scintigraphic findings, forelimb amputation was performed.
Complications associated with ESF can deleteriously affect soft tissue and bone healing. Adherence to proper surgical techniques and guidelines will minimize development of ESF-related complications. The most common problems associated with ESF are pin tract infections, fixator problems, and soft tissue impalement. These complications can be avoided by using proper pin insertion techniques that reduce skin tension; pin-bone, pin-skin motion; and soft tissue trauma. In addition, proper selection of pins (size, threaded or smooth), fixator configuration, ancillary implants, and a cancellous bone graft further reduce the risk of complications and inadequate healing.
Surgical treatments for intervertebral disc disease are useful for animals with gradually progressive, severely acute, or recurrent lesions. Surgical patients require a diligent neuroradiographic evaluation to confirm location and severity of the discopathy and rule out conditions unrelated to disc disease. Although controversial, some surgeons advocate fenestration for recurrent pain or mild ataxia associated with a noncompressive lesion. Decompressive procedures are recommended for treatment and prognostication of compressive disc-associated myelopathy. Foraminotomy is reserved for patients with lateralizing extrusions confirmed with myelography or newer imaging modalities (CT, MRI). Future treatments for animals may include chemonucleolysis or various discectomy procedures currently performed in humans with symptomatic disc disease.
Fourteen adult beavers (Castor canadensis) weighing 16.5 +/- 4.14 kg (mean +/- SD) were anesthetized for surgical implantation of radio telemetry devices. Beavers were anesthetized with diazepam (0.1 mg/kg) and ketamine (25 mg/kg) administered IM, which provided smooth anesthetic induction and facilitated tracheal intubation. Anesthesia was maintained with halothane in oxygen via a semiclosed circle anesthetic circuit. Values for heart rate, respiratory rate, esophageal temperature, direct arterial blood pressure, end-tidal halothane concentration, and end-tidal CO2 tension were recorded every 15 minutes during the surgical procedure. Arterial blood samples were collected every 30 minutes to determine pH, PaO2, and PaCO2. Values for plasma bicarbonate, total CO2, and base excess were calculated. Ventilation was spontaneous in 7 beavers and controlled to maintain normocapnia (PaCO2 approx 40 mm of Hg) in 7 others. Vaporizer settings were adjusted to maintain a light surgical plane of anesthesia. Throughout the surgical procedure, all beavers had mean arterial pressure less than 60 mm of Hg and esophageal temperature less than 35 C. Mean values for arterial pH, end-tidal CO2, PaO2, and PaCO2 were significantly (P less than 0.05) different in spontaneously ventilating beavers, compared with those in which ventilation was controlled. Respiratory acidosis during halothane anesthesia was observed in spontaneously ventilating beavers, but not in beavers maintained with controlled ventilation. All beavers recovered unremarkably from anesthesia.
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Thyroid tumors were diagnosed in 26 dogs between 1977 and 1984. A total of 23 of the 26 tumors were carcinomas, and 3, detected as incidental findings at necropsy, were adenomas. The median patient age was 9.5 years. Dogs of the Beagle breed were affected most commonly (5 dogs). The most common physical abnormalities in carcinoma patients were cervical swelling, dyspnea, and coughing. A total of 25 of 26 dogs were clinically euthyroid. Aspiration cytology provided diagnostic information in 8 of 17 cases. In dogs with thyroid carcinoma, a cervical soft tissue lesion was identified consistently by use of radiography and scintigraphy with sodium pertechnetate. Pulmonary metastases were detected radiographically in 8 of 21 dogs with thyroid carcinoma. Thoracic nuclear imaging confirmed the radiographic findings in 11 of 14 dogs. Surgical excision of the thyroid mass was the primary treatment for 17 dogs with carcinoma. Eight dogs died within 2 years (median, 7 months) of surgery because of primary tumor regrowth or metastases. Four dogs were alive at a range of 3 to 48 months after surgery, and 4 dogs died from unrelated causes. Necropsy of 7 dogs with thyroid carcinoma revealed neoplastic infiltration of the cervical blood vessels and pulmonary metastases in each dog. The most common histologic patterns of thyroid carcinoma were solid or compact cellular (11 dogs) and mixed solid-follicular tumors (8 dogs). Dogs with a solid carcinoma had a median survival time of 10.5 months (6 dogs), and dogs with a mixed solid-follicular tumor had a median survival time of 8 months (3 dogs).
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Osteomyelitis can be diagnosed by clinical, radiographic, and bacteriologic evaluation of the patient. An aggressive medical approach utilizing appropriate bactericidal antibiotics is required, along with surgical intervention in chronic cases.
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