VCOT January 2026 – Ortho Part 2: Elbow Orthobiologics & Rethinking DPO Plate Selection

In this Simini Small Animal Surgery Podcast episode, we continue our orthopedic coverage from the January 2026 issue of Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology (VCOT) by challenging two common assumptions surrounding timing and surgical planning. One study investigates whether orthobiologic injections administered immediately after elbow arthroscopy actually remain inside the joint, while the second demonstrates that double pelvic osteotomy (DPO) plates consistently produce less acetabular rotation than their labeled angle, changing how surgeons should approach implant selection.In this episode:✅ Rustemeyer et al. — A cadaveric CT study evaluating contrast retention following elbow arthroscopy. Compared with simple arthrocentesis, elbows undergoing arthroscopy demonstrated immediate postoperative extravasation, resulting in an estimated 64.3% dilution of injected fluid. The findings suggest that orthobiologics such as PRP or stem cell therapies administered immediately after arthroscopy may largely escape into the surrounding soft tissues rather than remaining intra-articular. Delaying injections until portal sealing occurs may substantially improve therapeutic delivery. ✅ Trommelmans et al. — A CT-based retrospective study measuring the true acetabular rotation achieved during double pelvic osteotomy. Across 49 hips, every plate angle consistently underperformed its nominal correction. Thirty-degree plates produced a median correction of only 23.4°, 25° plates achieved 16.7°, and 20° plates achieved approximately 15°. The study demonstrates that surgeons should anticipate 5–8° of lost rotation due to pelvic elasticity and soft tissue tension, recommending that 7–10° be added to preoperative planning measurements when selecting implant angles. Together, these studies emphasize that successful orthopedic surgery depends not only on technical execution, but also on understanding what happens immediately after surgery—and how living tissues respond to implanted hardware.🎓 Journal Articles DiscussedRustemeyer et al. — Extravasation of Intraarticular Fluid Injection Following Canine Elbow Arthroscopy: A Cadaveric StudyTrommelmans et al. — Effect of Double Pelvic Osteotomy on Dorsal Acetabular Rim Angle Using Computed Tomography in 27 Dogs📚 From the January 2026 issue of VCOT🎁 Want to learn more about Simini Protect Lavage or request a sample?Learn More: www.simini.comRequest a Sample: https://www.simini.com/evaluation-kit