Patellar luxation is a common orthopedic problem in dogs. Medial luxation is more common than lateral luxation and is usually diagnosed in dogs of small breed. Diagnosis is based on clinical evidence of patellar instability; however, diagnostic imaging is required to assess the amount of skeletal deformity and then the most appropriate method of treatment. Surgical options include both soft tissue and osseous techniques, however, in most of the cases, a combination of more procedures is used to achieve the correction of the luxation. Complication rate is generally low and the most common complications include reluxation and implant-associated complications. Prognosis is generally favorable, with most of the dogs returning to normal limb function. This article describes patellar luxation features in dogs, including clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment options available.

Ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in the cat is an unusual complication of traumatic lesions involving articular (true ankylosis) or periarticular structures (false ankylosis). Seven cats with true ankylosis of the TMJ (four cases unilateral and three cases bilateral), of which previous trauma had been documented in five cases, were referred to the authors' clinic between September 1991 and October 1996. Radiographic assessment was performed in all cases, using dorsoventral and oblique projections. Five subjects underwent arthroplastic excision of the TMJ and, in the remaining two cases, stretching of the jaws was performed under general anaesthesia. The surgical outcome was satisfactory in all but one case, where partially decreased joint mobility was observed (follow-up time one to five years), but in the two cases where non-surgical treatment was carried out, recurrence of TMJ ankylosis was observed (follow-up time two to five months). In the authors' experience, surgery represents the treatment of choice for TMJ ankylosis in cats. Additional mandibular symphysiotomy can confirm the radiological findings in unilateral cases.

The effect of right vs. left recumbency on computation of the vertebral heart score (VHS) was assessed in 63 healthy dogs. The VHS was significantly higher in right lateral recumbency (9.8 +/- 0.6 vs. 9.5 +/- 0.8; P < 0.0004). Gender and dog size did not significantly influence VHS values while there was m oredifference between left and right side measurements when considering the type of thorax (P = 0.055).

An unusual case of a Yorkshire terrier with a dermoid sinus associated with multiple spinal/costal malformations is described. The dog presented with ataxia and pain in the dorsal thoracic region. Diagnostic characterisation of the lesions was obtained with radiography, myelography and computed tomography. After surgical removal of the sinus, the dog showed marked clinical improvement over a two-year period.

A 10-year-old, male, mixed-breed dog that developed cervical pain and neurological deficits was diagnosed with primary lymphoma of the second cervical vertebra. The cervical lesion was not surgically resectable. A dorsal cervical hemilaminectomy was performed to provide temporary decompression. The dog had complete pain relief after surgery but was euthanized 6 weeks later with recurrent clinical signs and evidence of lymphoma in the right femur.

Immune endothelial inflammation, underlying coronary heart disease (CHD) related phenotypes, could provide new insight into the pathobiology of the disease. We investigated DNA methylation level of the unique CpG island of HLA-G gene in CHD patients and evaluated the correlation with cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) features. Methods Thirty-two patients that underwent CCTA for suspected CHD were enrolled for this study. Obstructive CHD group included fourteen patients, in which there was a stenosis greater than or equal to 50% in one or more of the major coronary arteries detected; whereas subjects with Calcium (Ca) Score = 0, uninjured coronaries and with no obstructive CHD (no critical stenosis, NCS) were considered as control subjects (n = 18). For both groups, DNA methylation profile of the whole 5'UTR-CpG island of HLA-G was measured. The plasma soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) levels were detected in all subjects by specific ELISA assay. Statistical analysis was performed using R software. Results For the first time, our study reported that 1) a significant hypomethylation characterized three specific fragments (B, C and F) of the 5'UTR-CpG island (p = 0.05) of HLA-G gene in

Aim of this blinded, prospective, randomized clinical study was to compare three different lubricant eye drops (LED) in healthy adult dogs undergoing general anaesthesia (GA) for non-ophthalmic surgery. Tear production rate was monitored by means of Schirmer tear test-1 (STT-1), and incidence of post-operative corneal abrasions/ulcerations was detected by corneal staining. A complete ophthalmic examination was performed before premedication, at extubation time and 24 h after GA in twenty-five non-brachycephalic dogs (fifty eyes) undergoing elective orthopaedic or spinal surgery procedures. Dogs were randomly allocated to one of three groups receiving as prophylactic LED either carmellose sodium (GC), or 1% hyaluronic acid (GH), or 0.25% hyaluronic acid (GL). In each eye STT-1 was repeated every hour during GA, before instilling one drop of the assigned LED. In all groups STT-1 values drastically decreased during GA, while 24 h later nine eyes (18%) had STT-1 values lower than 15 mm/minute. All of the three formulations tested were fully effective in preventing corneal ulceration (0% in all groups), while 10% of eyes reported superficial de-epithelialization. Fluorescein staining demonstrated that hourly prophylactic LED application prevented exposure keratopathy during general anesthesia in 90% of the eyes in non-brachycephalic dogs.

The dorsal acetabular rim (DAR) view of the hip joint can be used to assess the weightbearing portion of the acetabulum and the acetabular coverage, providing an adjunct to the conventional ventrodorsal (VD) view in the radiographic evaluation of hip dysplasia in the dog. A quantitative index of acetabular coverage in the DAR view, the acetabular slope (AS) angle, was originally proposed in 1990. The aim of the present study was to make a prospective, comparative assessment of a new parameter, the centre-edge (CE) angle, with the AS angle, for the evaluation of the acetabular coverage of the femoral head in the DAR view. The reliability and repeatability of the two parameters was assessed using the r(I) value of intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) in a prospective study of 208 hip joints in large and giant breed dogs. An estimation of the added value of using the DAR view, compared with that of the VD standard view alone, was also assessed. The CE angle showed a higher r(I) value compared with the AS angle; in 26 per cent of hips of FCI classes A, B and C, the DAR view provided additional diagnostic information compared with the VD view, with respect to lateralisation and/or initial changes to the dorsal rim. It is concluded that the CE angle is more reliable than the AS angle in the evaluation of acetabular coverage, and that the DAR view provides valuable data compared with the VD view alone in the early stages of canine hip dysplasia.