Vicki
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New Developments for Canine Knee Injuries
A new device as a way to avoid osteotomy for cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injuries.
By Jess Elliott
THE CANINE KNEE—known as the stifle—is a large, complex and vulnerable joint. Damage to one of its four main ligaments, most commonly the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL), results in pain and lameness and is the reason many dogs wind up in their vet’s exam room. The CCL connects the thigh bone with the lower leg bone and helps stabilize the knee. When it’s torn or ruptured, surgery may be required, particularly for large or very active dogs. In the U.S., the most common surgical repair techniques are the tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) and the tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO), both of which require implanted hardware as well as cutting the bone(s) around the stifle joint, a procedure called an osteotomy.
However, an innovative technique utilizing a newly designed device—the Simitri Stable in Stride™—makes it possible to skip the bone-cutting. A Simitri stifle repair involves putting a small plate on the bones on each end of the knee (the femur and the tibia) and connecting them with an interlocking hinge.
Developed by Neil Embleton and Veronica Barkowski, Canadian veterinarians with extensive experience in orthopedic surgery, as a way to avoid osteotomy and preserve maximum joint motion, the device provides immediate joint support with minimal change to its form or biomechanics. It also offers a potentially quicker and less painful recovery.
Partnering with a U.S.-based veterinary implant manufacturer, New Generation Devices (NGD), Embleton and Barkowski developed and tested the Simitri in medium and large dogs. Although the procedure is too new to have good data on its long-term outlook, initial clinical trial results have been promising. (It’s worth noting that there’s also a shortage of evidence-based info on long-term TTA and TPLO results; most of the literature reflects information from their initial development.)
The current sizes of the Simitri Stable in Stride implants are most suitable for dogs 40 to 90 pounds (20 to 40 kg); per correspondence with Dr. Embleton, he is now trialing a device for dogs 15 to 35 pounds (7 to 15 kg), and a version for dogs more than 90 pounds (40 kg) is currently in development.
Interested in exploring this option for your dog? Dr. Embleton suggests that you ask your vet about it, or contact NGD to see if a vet in your area already has experience with the Simitri.
http://thebark.com/content/new-developments-canine-knee-injuries
A new device as a way to avoid osteotomy for cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injuries.
By Jess Elliott
THE CANINE KNEE—known as the stifle—is a large, complex and vulnerable joint. Damage to one of its four main ligaments, most commonly the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL), results in pain and lameness and is the reason many dogs wind up in their vet’s exam room. The CCL connects the thigh bone with the lower leg bone and helps stabilize the knee. When it’s torn or ruptured, surgery may be required, particularly for large or very active dogs. In the U.S., the most common surgical repair techniques are the tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) and the tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO), both of which require implanted hardware as well as cutting the bone(s) around the stifle joint, a procedure called an osteotomy.
However, an innovative technique utilizing a newly designed device—the Simitri Stable in Stride™—makes it possible to skip the bone-cutting. A Simitri stifle repair involves putting a small plate on the bones on each end of the knee (the femur and the tibia) and connecting them with an interlocking hinge.
Developed by Neil Embleton and Veronica Barkowski, Canadian veterinarians with extensive experience in orthopedic surgery, as a way to avoid osteotomy and preserve maximum joint motion, the device provides immediate joint support with minimal change to its form or biomechanics. It also offers a potentially quicker and less painful recovery.
Partnering with a U.S.-based veterinary implant manufacturer, New Generation Devices (NGD), Embleton and Barkowski developed and tested the Simitri in medium and large dogs. Although the procedure is too new to have good data on its long-term outlook, initial clinical trial results have been promising. (It’s worth noting that there’s also a shortage of evidence-based info on long-term TTA and TPLO results; most of the literature reflects information from their initial development.)
The current sizes of the Simitri Stable in Stride implants are most suitable for dogs 40 to 90 pounds (20 to 40 kg); per correspondence with Dr. Embleton, he is now trialing a device for dogs 15 to 35 pounds (7 to 15 kg), and a version for dogs more than 90 pounds (40 kg) is currently in development.
Interested in exploring this option for your dog? Dr. Embleton suggests that you ask your vet about it, or contact NGD to see if a vet in your area already has experience with the Simitri.
http://thebark.com/content/new-developments-canine-knee-injuries
