VCOT September 2025 – Ortho Part 2: Toy Breed Menisci & Growth-Guided Tibial Plateau Correction

In this Simini Small Animal Surgery Podcast episode, we continue our orthopedic coverage from the September 2025 issue of Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology (VCOT) by examining how biology and biomechanics shape long-term orthopedic outcomes in small dogs.One study challenges assumptions about meniscal injury prevalence in toy-breed dogs with cranial cruciate ligament disease, while the second explores how growth itself may become a powerful ally in the treatment of proximal tibial physeal fractures.In this episode:✅ Kikuchi et al. — Used arthroscopy to evaluate the incidence of medial meniscal injury in toy-breed dogs weighing 5 kg or less with cranial cruciate ligament rupture. The authors identified meniscal injury in 36.3% of affected stifles, demonstrating that significant meniscal pathology remains common even in very small patients. Yorkshire Terriers showed particularly high rates of complete cruciate rupture and meniscal injury, with over 55% of Yorkies affected. The study highlights the importance of thorough meniscal assessment, especially in dogs with complete ruptures, higher relative body weight, and severe lameness. ✅ Turner et al. — Evaluated postoperative changes in tibial plateau angle (TPA) following repair of Salter-Harris Type I and II proximal tibial physeal fractures. Across 32 dogs, the authors observed a mean 5.89° reduction in TPA during early healing, demonstrating that significant dynamic correction occurs after surgery. Interestingly, adding a tibial tuberosity tension band did not significantly affect correction, suggesting that cranially placed K-wires alone create sufficient temporary physeal tethering to guide growth and level the tibial plateau over time.Together, these studies remind us that successful orthopedic surgery requires understanding not only the injury itself, but also how biology continues to influence outcomes long after the procedure is complete.🎓 Journal Articles DiscussedKikuchi et al. — Incidence of Medial Meniscus Injury Detected by Arthroscopy in Toy Breed Dogs (≤5 kg) with Cranial Cruciate Ligament RuptureTurner et al. —Tibial Plateau Angle Changes following Repair of Salter–Harris Type 1 and 2 Fractures in Dogs📚 From the September 2025 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