Orthopedic Surgery

Practical Orthopedic Surgical Techniques

May 22-25, 2023 | Orlando, FL

30 CE credit hours (RACE approved)

Course Description

This 4-day course is designed to equip the practicing veterinarian with new and refined skills in practical small animal orthopedic procedures. Veterinarians will learn when to (and when not to) perform practical orthopedic surgical procedures and how to perform them with excellence. Procedures that you will perform on canine and feline cadavers include extracapsular suture stifle stabilization, medial patellar luxation, femoral head/neck ostectomy (traditional and ventral), lateral approach to the femur, feline mandibular symphysis fracture repair, joint taps, epidural injections and amputation of the pelvic and thoracic limbs.

Learning Objectives

Participants will leave having gained confidence in their ability to:

Diagnose CrCL disease and identify good candidates for extracapsular suture stabilization (“ExCap”).
Explore the canine stifle and visualize the menisci.
Perform ExCap using a lateral fabellar-tibial suture and provide postoperative care.
Identify good candidates for medial patellar luxation (MPL) corrective surgery.
Determine if trochleoplasty is indicated and how to perform the procedure.
Determine if tibial crest transposition is indicated and to perform the procedure (including a few tricks not shown in any textbooks).
Identify good candidates for ventral femoral head/neck ostectomy (FHNO) and how to perform the procedure.
Identify good candidates for traditional FHNO and how to perform the procedure.
Perform a lateral approach to the femur.
Feline mandibular symphysis fracture repair.
Perform joint taps.
Perform an epidural injection.
Perform a forequarter amputation.
Perform an hindquarter amputation.

Who Should Attend?

This course is designed to train both the novice and the experienced veterinary practitioner. “Newbies” will enjoy the security of learning these practical techniques in a supportive and nurturing learning environment. “Old Guard” veterinarians are sure to learn subtle nuances that will help them refine their current techniques.

Course Leader

Ross H. Palmer, DVM, MS, DACVS

Ross H. Palmer, DVM, MS, DACVS, has worked in both academic and private specialty practice. Ross is currently a Professor of Orthopedics at Colorado State University and has been an invited speaker at veterinary conferences throughout the world. He is also the Director of the Complete Course on External Skeletal Fixation, which is now in its 25th year of training veterinarians. He’s authored more than 50 scientific publications and has served as a board member of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society (VOS), World Veterinary Orthopedic Congress and the Veterinary Surgery Journal and also served as a program committee member of the North American Veterinary Community. His continuing research is primarily directed toward knee injury, cartilage repair, bone healing and orthopedic fixation. Ross has collaborated with multiple institutions, such as Harvard Childrens’ Hospital, the National Institute of Health (NIH), the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) and numerous human healthcare companies and universities. He has mentored countless recipients of the Best Clinical Research Award and the Mark Bloomberg Resident Research Award from the VOS. During his free time, he enjoys hiking, cycling, fishing, international travel and taking time “off the grid” with his family at his cabin in northwest Ontario, Canada.