Perioperative outcomes favored a GD therapy rather than liberal fluid therapy without hemodynamic goals. Whether GD therapy is superior to a restrictive fluid strategy remains uncertain.

Osteoarthritis is a clinical problem in cats, but overt lameness is not the most common clinical feature.

The prevalence of radiographic signs of degenerative joint disease (including appendicular osteoarthritis) among a hospital population of 218 cats was 33.9 per cent (74 cats), and the prevalence of signs of appendicular joint osteoarthritis was 16.5 per cent (36 cats). Half of the cases of appendicular joint osteoarthritis had no apparent radiographic or historical cause, and clinical signs of lameness were recorded in only six of them, all of which had an apparent radiographic cause. The 74 cats with radiographic signs of degenerative joint disease were on average significantly older than the 144 cats in which there were no radiographic signs of the disease.

This study supports the hypothesis that joint incongruency is associated with FCP in dogs, though is not present in every case at the time of diagnosis. The precise mechanism of development of this incongruency cannot be determined from these data.

Surgical management of IOHC is associated with a high rate of postoperative complications. Placement of the transcondylar screw in lag fashion may limit postoperative complications and warrants further consideration.