Rehabilitation

Extracellular matrix scaffolds for treatment of large volume muscle injuries: A review

OBJECTIVE: Large muscular or musculotendinous defects present a dilemma because of the inadequacies of current treatment strategies. Extracellular matrices (ECM) are potential clinically applicable regenerative biomaterials. This review summarizes information from the preclinical literature evaluating the use of ECM for muscle regeneration in animal models of volumetric muscle loss (VML).

STUDY DESIGN: Literature review.

SAMPLE POPULATION: Animal models of VML in which surgical repair was performed with an ECM product, with or without added cell populations.

Category: Biologics - Rehabilitation - Tendon and Ligament Injuries
Small Animal Massage Therapy: A Brief Review and Relevant Observations

Massage therapy is becoming increasingly popular in human and animal physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Wider application of the technique led to research efforts aimed at providing scientific support to anecdotal beneficial effects, particularly pain relief.

Recent studies have shown that massage therapy alters dopamine and serotonin levels, decreases noradrenaline levels, and modulates the immune system. Psychological effects such as reduction of stress and anxiety, with improvement of depressive patients, have been reported in humans.

Category: Rehabilitation
Aquatic treadmill water level influence on pelvic limb kinematics in cranial cruciate ligament-deficient dogs with surgically stabilised stifles

OBJECTIVE: To compare pelvic limb joint kinematics and temporal gait characteristics during land-based and aquatic-based treadmill walking in dogs that have undergone surgical stabilisation for cranial cruciate ligament deficiency.

Category: Knee - Rehabilitation - Tendon and Ligament Injuries
Kinetic and kinematic evaluation of compensatory movements of the head, pelvis and thoracolumbar spine associated with asymmetric weight bearing of the pelvic limbs in trotting dogs.
Authors: Hicks DA1, Millis DL.
Journal: VCOT

OBJECTIVES:

To determine ground reaction forces, head and pelvis vertical motion (HVM and PVM, respectively), and thoraco-lumbar lateral angular motion (LAM) of the spine using kinematic gait analysis in dogs with mild asymmetric weight-bearing of the pelvic limbs while trotting.

METHODS:

Category: Rehabilitation - Spine - Sport Medicine
Kinematic gait analysis of the canine thoracic limb using a six degrees of freedom marker set. Study in normal Labrador Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers with medial coronoid process disease.
Authors: Caron A, Caley A, Farrell M, Fitzpatrick N1.
Journal: VCOT

OBJECTIVES:

To determine if the use of a six degrees of freedom marker set would allow new kinematic data of the canine thoracic limbs to be calculated. To identify any significant differences in thoracic limb gait patterns in all planes of motion, between the normal canine population and patients with confirmed medial coronoid disease (MCD).

METHOD:

Category: Elbow - Imaging - Rehabilitation
Forelimb and hindlimb ground reaction forces of walking cats: Assessment and comparison with walking dogs.
Authors: Corbee RJ1, Maas H2, Doornenbal A3, Hazewinkel HA3.
Journal: Vet J

The primary aim of this study was to assess the potential of force plate analysis for describing the stride cycle of the cat. The secondary aim was to define differences in feline and canine locomotion based on force plate characteristics. Ground reaction forces of 24 healthy cats were measured and compared with ground reaction forces of 24 healthy dogs.

Category: Rehabilitation
A 6-month observational study of changes in objectively measured physical activity during weight loss in dogs.
Authors: Morrison R1, Reilly JJ, Penpraze V, Pendlebury E, Yam PS.
Journal: J Small Anim Pract

OBJECTIVES:

To evaluate long-term changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviour during weight loss in dogs.

Category: Osteoarthritis - Pain Management - Rehabilitation
Ground reaction force adaptations to tripedal locomotion in dogs.
Authors: Fuchs A1, Goldner B1, Nolte I1, Schilling N2.
Journal: Vet J

To gain insight into the adaptive mechanisms to tripedal locomotion and increase understanding of the biomechanical consequences of limb amputation, this study investigated kinetic and temporal gait parameters in dogs before and after the loss of a hindlimb was simulated. Nine clinically sound Beagle dogs trotted on an instrumented treadmill and the ground reaction forces as well as the footfall patterns were compared between quadrupedal and tripedal locomotion.

Category: Oncology - Rehabilitation - Sport Medicine
Evaluation of thoracic limb loads, elbow movement, and morphology in dogs before and after arthroscopic management of unilateral medial coronoid process disease.
Authors: Galindo-Zamora V1, Dziallas P, Wolf DC, Kramer S, Abdelhadi J, Lucas K, Nolte I, Wefstaedt P.
Journal: Vet Surg

OBJECTIVE:

To (1) evaluate thoracic limb loads and symmetry, and elbow function and morphology, before and after arthroscopic treatment of unilateral medial coronoid process disease (MCPD), and (2) determine if functional variables correlate with morphologic findings.

STUDY DESIGN:

Prospective case series.

ANIMALS:

Dogs (n = 14) with thoracic limb lameness.

METHODS:

Category: Arthroscopy - Elbow - Rehabilitation
Evaluation of a novel accelerometer for kinetic gait analysis in dogs.
Authors: Clark K, Caraguel C, Leahey L, Béraud R.
Journal: Can J Vet Res

The objective of this study was to evaluate a novel accelerometer-based sensor system, the Walkabout Portable Gait Monitor (WPGM), for use in kinetic gait analysis of dogs. The accelerometer was compared to the common reference standard of force platform analysis. Fifteen client-owned, orthopedically sound dogs of various breeds underwent simultaneous force platform and accelerometer gait trials to measure peak vertical forces (PVFs).

Category: Pain Management - Rehabilitation