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Animals
Special Issues
Recent Advances in Veterinary Orthopaedics—Companion Animal
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Recent Advances in Veterinary Orthopaedics—Companion Animal

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Companion Animals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 1225

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dan Wills

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Surgical and Orthopaedic Research Laboratories, Prince of Wales Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Interests: veterinary orthopaedics; minimally invasive surgery; bone drilling; bone screws; osseointegration; medical physics; preclinical surgery
Dr. Rema A. Oliver

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Surgical and Orthopaedic Research Laboratories, Prince of Wales Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Interests: orthopaedics; molecular biology; preclinical animal models; preclinical surgery; fracture healing; bone graft substitutes
Dr. Rachel Basa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Sydney School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Interests: feline orthopaedics; musculoskeletal imaging; small animal surgery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Companion animals are an integral part of our global community. In the U.S. alone, 87 million households own pets, 75% of which report owning at least one dog and 54% owning at least one cat. Veterinary orthopaedic surgeons are entrusted with the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases and injuries among this growing population of companion animals. They must continue to advance, whilst meeting societies’ needs, to fulfil this charge. Advances must take place in the understanding of disease mechanisms and biological responses to treatment, biomechanics of injury and repair, innovations in technology and techniques, and refinement of clinical treatment algorithms to provide care at all levels. Furthermore, experience gained by these advances may serve as inspiration or information for colleagues in the wider community entrusted with the orthopaedic care of other species, including humans.

The purpose of this issue is to highlight recent advances in the orthopaedic care of companion animals (not just dogs and cats, but rodents, reptiles, and fish as well). Original research (ex vivo, in vivo) and review articles presenting basic science, i.e., fundamental principles, allowing translation of results to companion animals are encouraged. Similarly, case reports presenting companion animal orthopaedics that relate findings to works in the wider orthopaedic community are also encouraged to submit.

Dr. Dan Wills
Dr. Rema A. Oliver
Guest Editors

Dr. Rachel Basa
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • orthopaedics
  • veterinary surgery
  • advances
  • companion animal
  • dogs
  • cats
  • bone

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1080 KB  
Article
Flexible Intramedullary Nails for Stabilization of Transverse Femoral Fractures in Cats: Ex Vivo Biomechanical Characterization
by Rebeca Bastos Abibe, Sheila Canevese Rahal, René Quispé Rodriguez, Guilherme Rech Cassanego, Fátima Maria Caetano Caldeira, Philipp Kobbe, Jörg Eschweiler and Luis Fernando Nicolini
Animals 2026, 16(8), 1154; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16081154 - 10 Apr 2026
Viewed by 320
Abstract
Flexible intramedullary nails (FINs) are commonly used in children and adolescents to treat long bone fractures, but few studies exist in animals. This study aimed to evaluate the biomechanical performance of FINS for the stabilization of transverse femoral fractures in cats. Fifteen bones [...] Read more.
Flexible intramedullary nails (FINs) are commonly used in children and adolescents to treat long bone fractures, but few studies exist in animals. This study aimed to evaluate the biomechanical performance of FINS for the stabilization of transverse femoral fractures in cats. Fifteen bones were kept intact, while in another 15 bones, a mid-diaphyseal transverse fracture was induced and stabilized with two steel FINs of equal diameter, advanced divergently toward the greater trochanter and femoral neck, with end caps applied to the free ends. Five constructs and five intact bones were subjected to axial compression, four-point bending, and torsion tests. In axial compression, intact bones showed higher mean maximum force (1090.51 N vs. 608.43 N) and stiffness (845.98 vs. 298.86 N/m) than constructs. In bending, intact bones reached a maximum force of 1384.75 N, whereas a distinct maximum force could not be determined for the constructs; stiffness was also greater (1580.92 vs. 13.32 N/m). In torsion, intact bones demonstrated substantially higher mean maximum force (6.764 vs. 0.166 Nm) and stiffness (32.11 vs. 1.04 Nm/rad) than constructs. In conclusion, FINs with end caps demonstrate low construct stiffness, particularly under torsional loads, when used to stabilize mid-diaphyseal transverse femoral fractures in cats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Veterinary Orthopaedics—Companion Animal)
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15 pages, 1943 KB  
Article
The Effect of Variable-Pitch Headless Compression Screws and Cortical Screws on Interfragmentary Compression: An In Vitro Polyurethane Foam Block Model
by Brendan R. Castellino, Daniel J. Wills, Christopher J. Tan, Max J. Lloyd and William R. Walsh
Animals 2026, 16(7), 1126; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16071126 - 7 Apr 2026
Viewed by 385
Abstract
Articular fractures require precise anatomical reduction and rigid fixation to heal appropriately. In veterinary cases that involve fracturing of the lateral humeral condyle, cortical bone screws inserted in lag fashion with Kirschner wire are the preferred method for surgical fixation. However, relatively high [...] Read more.
Articular fractures require precise anatomical reduction and rigid fixation to heal appropriately. In veterinary cases that involve fracturing of the lateral humeral condyle, cortical bone screws inserted in lag fashion with Kirschner wire are the preferred method for surgical fixation. However, relatively high complication rates associated with cortical lag screws (CLSs) highlights the need to investigate alternate screw designs. Variable-pitch headless compression screws (VPHCSs) are unique as they advance beneath the cortical surface. Although the use of VPHCSs are widely utilised in human orthopaedics, the current use in veterinary orthopaedics is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the peak interfragmentary force (PIF) and area of compression (AOC) generated by a 3.5 mm self-tapping cortical screw placed in lag fashion and a 3.5 mm VPHCS inserted to four depths. PIF and AOC were measured using a pressure-sensitive film placed between two blocks of polyurethane foam (0.24 g/cm3), simulating a transverse fracture. CLSs were inserted by hand into predrilled 2.5 mm pilot holes. PIF and AOC were measured at full insertion. VPHCSs were placed into predrilled 2.5 mm pilot holes, followed by a 3.5 mm tapered countersink. The screw was inserted until the head was level with the surface. PIF and AOC were measured between the two blocks. The screw was continued until the head was at a depth of 2, 5, and 9 mm below the surface, and the PIF and AOC were measured again at each stage. There was no detectable difference in PIF and AOC between CLSs and VPHCSs countersunk to −2 mm (PIF–CLS: Mean = 12.886, SD = 2.370; 2 mm: Mean = 17.301, SD = 8.858, p = 0.319; AOC–CLS: Mean = 0.936, SD = 0.291; 2 mm: Mean = 0.925, SD = 0.447, p = 0.872). VPHCSs countersunk to −5 mm and −9 mm produced significantly greater PIF compared to CLSs (5 mm: Mean = 16.086, SD = 6.799, p = 0.002; 9 mm: Mean = 34.987, SD = 4.015, p < 0.001). VPHCSs countersunk to −5 and −9 mm produced significantly greater PIF and AOC compared to CLSs in this model. Further investigation is required to produce recommendations for clinical use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Veterinary Orthopaedics—Companion Animal)
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