ABSTRACT
Patients requiring surgical orthopedic procedures usually suffer from developmental or traumatic abnormities. In dogs, the common developmental orthopedic diseases requiring surgery include: osteochondritis dissecans of the shoulder, elbow and stifle, and hock; elbow dysplasia; elbow incongruity; patellar luxation; avascular necrosis of the femoral head; and hip dysplasia (femoral head/neck excision, triple pelvic osteotomy, total hip replacement). Cranial cruciate disease is the most common cause of hindlimb lameness in dogs and typically presents in middle age, although it can occur at any age. Ligament rupture is the result of degeneration from a combination of factors, including age, obesity, poor physical condition, genetics, conformation, and breed predilection. Traumatic fractures are most commonly the result of motor vehicle accidents; the most common fractures requiring surgical intervention are of the femur, pelvis, radius/ulna, tibia, and humerus. In cats, trauma is the most common reason for surgical orthopedic intervention, with 70–87% of fractures occurring in the hindlimb, most often the femur.
