The aims of the study were to describe the ultrasonographic-guided lateral TAP block in rabbit cadavers and evaluate the spread of a lidocaine/methylene blue solution through a single fascial infiltration. The US-guided block and anatomical dissections were performed in 17 New Zealand rabbit cadavers. The probe was placed perpendicular to the column, one centimetre ventrally to the transverse processes, halfway between the iliac crest and the costal margin. External oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), and transversus abdominis (TA) muscles were visualised, and 1 mL/kg of lidocaine 2% plus methylene blue 1% was injected. After dissection, the branches of spinal nerves stained were measured. Moreover, the percentage of length and height of the area marked were calculated. A good visualisation of the TAP was obtained in all 34 hemiabdomens. T11 nerve eminence was successfully stained in 52% of cases. T12, L1, and L2 were stained in 75%, 95%, and 100% of cases, respectively. L3 and L4 were stained in 60% and 40% of cases, respectively. The lateral TAP block with a single point of injection can be easily performed in rabbits, but it is not sufficient to cover the nerve eminences of the cranial abdomen. The two-point TAP block (lateral and subcostal) could represent a better option, particularly when large surgical incisions are required.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of the intra-articular treatment of autologous microfragmented adipose tissue in dogs with spontaneous osteoarthritis (OA) in comparison with hyaluronic acid (HA), the standard intra-articular treatment. Specifically, it clinically evaluated pain and lameness, the radiographic progression of osteoarthritis, and synovial fluid inflammation. This was a prospective, single-center, parallel-group, randomized, controlled, in vivo clinical study. Participants (n = 40) received either a single intra-articular injection of microfragmented adipose tissue or a single intra-articular injection of HA (1:1). Clinical outcomes were determined using a specialistic clinician assessment obtained by the completion of a specific clinical form based on the Vesseur modified lameness classification system, a pain evaluation using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the measurement of the range of motion (ROM) of the affected joint, limb circumference, and the owners’ score evaluation using the Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI) for up to 6 months after the time of injection. Patients underwent a radiographic examination to establish the degree of OA in the affected joint, and synovial fluid samples were collected to assess the biochemical environment of the joint and evaluate and quantify the cellular population and the presence of three specific inflammation biomarkers for up to 60 days. The results of this study suggest that microfragmented autologous adipose tissue is safe and can effectively relieve pain and improve function in dogs with spontaneous articular OA. This one-step procedure is simple, timesaving, cost-effective, minimally invasive, and eliminates the need for complex and time-intensive cell culture processing. Furthermore, the clinical evidence and cytological results suggest better long-term pain control, resulting in an improvement in joint function, compared to HA treatment. The canine spontaneous OA model could play a key role in developing successful treatments for human medicine.

The study aimed to assess the metabolomic profile of the synovial fluid (SF) of dogs affected by spontaneous osteoarthritis (OA) and compare any differences based on disease progression. Sixty client-owned dogs affected by spontaneous OA underwent clinical, radiographic, and cytologic evaluations to confirm the diagnosis. The affected joints were divided into four study groups based on the Kallgreen–Lawrence classification: OA1 (mild), OA2 (moderate), OA3 (severe), and OA4 (extremely severe/deforming). The osteoarthritic joint’s SF was subjected to cytologic examination and ¹H-NMR analysis. The metabolomic profiles of the study groups’ SF samples were statistically compared using one-way ANOVA. Sixty osteoarthritic joints (45 stifles, 10 shoulders and 5 elbows) were included in the study. Fourteen, 28, and 18 joints were included in the OA1, OA2, and OA3 groups, respectively (0 joints in the OA4 group). Metabolomic analysis identified 48 metabolites, five of which were significantly different between study groups: Mannose and betaine were elevated in the OA1 group compared with the OA2 group, and the 2-hydroxyisobutyrate concentration decreased with OA progression; in contrast, isoleucine was less concentrated in mild vs. moderate OA, and lactate increased in severe OA. This study identified different ¹H-NMR metabolomic profiles of canine SF in patients with progressive degrees of spontaneous OA, suggesting ¹H-NMR metabolomic analysis as a potential alternative method for monitoring OA progression. In addition, the results suggest the therapeutic potentials of the metabolomic pathways that involve mannose, betaine, 2-hydroxyisobutyrate, isoleucine, and lactate.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of autologous microfragmented adipose tissue (MFAT) applied after mechanical fragmentation and assess these effects radiographically in bone healing in dogs subjected to tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO). Twenty dogs with unilateral cranial cruciate ligament disease were enrolled and randomly assigned to the treatment group (MFAT) or the control group (NT). The MFAT group underwent TPLO and autologous MFAT intra-articular administration, while the NT group underwent TPLO alone. Adipose tissue was collected from the thigh region, and MFAT was obtained by mechanical fragmentation at the end of the surgery. The patients were subjected to X-ray examination preoperatively, immediately postoperatively (T0), and at 4 (T1) and 8 (T2) weeks postoperatively. Two radiographic scores that had previously been described for the evaluation of bone healing after TPLO were used. A 12-point scoring system (from 0 = no healing to 12 = complete remodelling) was used at T0, T1, and T2, while a 5-point scoring system (from 0 = no healing to 4 = 76–100% of healing) was used at T1 and T2. The median healing scores were significantly higher at T1 and T2 for the MFAT group compared with the NT group for the 12-point (p < 0.05) and 5-point (p < 0.05) scoring systems. The intra-articular injection of autologous microfragmented adipose tissue can accelerate bone healing after TPLO without complications.

This study aims to evaluate the morpho-functional change in the patellar ligament in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament disease. We hypothesized that it may show increased thickening and stiffness with increasing days from onset to diagnosis instead of trauma. Understanding this aspect has implications for the choice of timing for treating patients suffering from cranial cruciate ligament disease, as well as the contextualization of patellar ligament desmitis pictures after surgical treatment with tibial plateau leveling osteotomy or tibial tuberosity advancement. Thirty-three dogs affected by unilateral cranial cruciate disease were examined and divided into three groups based on the time elapsed from the onset of lameness to diagnosis: Group 1 (1–15 days), Group 2 (16–60 days), and Group 3 (over 60 days). Conventional B-mode ultrasonographic and elastosonographic examinations of the patellar ligament were performed without sedation for each dog. Upon ultrasonographic examination, all dogs showed modification in the echostructure of the patellar ligament. In addition, the patellar ligament tended to become harder with increasing days after disease, although there were no significant differences between groups. Our results show that as the time increases between the onset of cranial cruciate ligament disease and diagnosis and treatment, the patellar ligament progressively thickens and loses its elasticity.