During joint surgery it is vital to inspect the joint to evaluate for damage, treat problems in the joint, and assist in repairing fractures of the joint. To be able to look into the joint surgeons can use two different ways: 1. Arthrotomy – this means using a scalpel blade to cut open the joint [...]

What is the Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL)? The CCL is an important stabilizer of the stifle (knee) joint and once torn or tearing it leaves the stifle unstable. The three main functions of the CCL are to prevent hyperextension of the stifle, prevent internal rotation of the tibia (shin bone), and most importantly to prevent [...]

Orthobiologic therapy (“Biologic therapy)” is sometimes referred to as regenerative medicine. It is a new emerging modality for a variety of disease problems in our patients. Not every case that comes to Fusion Veterinary Orthopedics needs surgery. However, for osteoarthritis flare-ups, and tendon or ligament injuries; Dr. David Dycus may recommend biologic therapy. The goal [...]

Introduction: Patella (kneecap) luxation is a common orthopedic problem affecting both our small and large canine friends. This condition typically results from abnormalities in bony development of the hind limbs with a mismatch between the soft tissues and the skeleton. The patella is a small bone that is part of the extensor (quadriceps) mechanism. It [...]

Introduction Fractures (broken bones) occur frequently and often unexpectedly in our furry friends. Fractured bones happened typically after significant trauma, or less frequently due to disease of the bone as seen with bone cancer. Blunt force trauma such as being hit by a car, jumping from high surfaces, or evening jumping up after a Frisbee [...]

Introduction: Joint problems can arise in our furry friends just as they do in us. In the dog this is commonly due to underlying developmental genetic issues such as hip dysplasia or developmental elbow disease. However, other injuries such as tearing of the cranial cruciate ligament (similar to our ACL), patella (kneecap luxation) or joint [...]

Developmental elbow disease (aka “elbow dysplasia”) is a common cause of front limb lameness, especially in our skeletally immature medium to large breed dogs. Elbow dysplasia is more of an umbrella term that encompasses any abnormal development of the elbow. In particular it includes: Fragmentation/Fissuring of the medical coronoid process Ununited Anconeal Process Osteochondrosis/Osteochondritis [...]

Introduction: Hip dysplasia is a term used to characterize abnormal formation of the “ball and socket” joint of the hip. It has become one of the most common orthopedic conditions that leads to joint inflammation and secondary osteoarthritis (OA). How does this occur? Multiple causes have been proposed to lead to hip dysplasia such as [...]