At Safari we take pet orthopedic surgery seriously. We have skilled board-certified pet orthopedic surgeons with over 30 years of experience who use the most recent techniques supplemented by the most advanced equipment to ensure your pet has the optimal chances for recovery.
Here we show the String of Pearls plating system that offers the following
Advantages:
The design allows for accurate contouring of the plate to match the curvature of the bones in 3-D space instead of the traditional bone plate that can only be bent in 2 dimensions.
String of Pearls is designed to fit off the surface of the bone improving blood supply and healing while traditional plating systems are meant to be fixed on the surface of the bone.
String of Pearls is stronger given the biomechanics of a cylindrical design instead of a flat design.
String of pearls does not require that the screws be placed through both sides of the bone while with traditional bone plates the screws must penetrate both cortexes.
String of Pearls can be used with intramedullary pins to supplement fracture stability.
String of Pearls does not need every screw hole filled to be maximum strength as is the case with traditional bone plates.
The following fracture was initially fixed with a standard bone plate. The post-operative radiograph shows good technique. Yet at 3 weeks post-surgery the plate failed and broke.
String of Pearls and an intramedullary pin were placed, and the pet went on to full recovery.
String of Pearls can be used in difficult fractures that have many segments or involve joint surfaces such as the pelvis.
Knee Surgery is the most common pet orthopedic surgery at Safari. Correction of Cruciate Ligaments using the newest techniques supplement with stem cell therapy has given our patients the therapeutic advantage and brings them back from surgery faster and with fewer complications.
The Wedge Tibial Tuberosity Advancement or Wedge TTA is our most popular procedure for these cases.
Using a titanium wedge to change the biomechanical forces on the knee joint is a brilliant solution developed in the United Kingdom after the MMP*.
This technique corrects the anatomical forces on the knee without altering the weight bearing articular surface of the knee joint as does the TPLO surgery. When compared to the TPLO, the Wedge TTA is less traumatic and has less complications. It is the newer procedure and takes a fraction of the time and costs the owner a fraction of the cost of the TPLO surgery.
*Note: The Wedge TTA is designed following the Modified Maquet Procedure (MMP) is so named to acknowledge the investigator of these operations – Dr P Maquet, a human orthopedic veterinarian working in Belgium during the 1960’s.
Luxating Patella Correction at Safari
Knee caps – or patellas are the second most common problem with the knees of pets. When the kneecap or patella hops out of its groove, it creates pain and eventual arthritis. Traditional surgical correction involves making the groove deeper so the patella cannot escape. While this is effective it requires major surgery, angled cuts through the bone and long recovery time with rehabilitation. There is a new orthopedic surgery called the “Ridge Stop” that accomplishes the same goals with only a small implant and three screws. No bone cutting, no loss of cartilage that plagues the previous surgeries.
The “Ridge Stop” technique adds height to the lower ridge (usually the inside ridge of the patellar groove). It is sized to fit your pet and installed with little surgical trauma. A few weeks later and your pet will be back to pain free use of the knee.
The following is a video detailing this surgery.
