Two innovative surgeries, both uncommon in goats, were conducted at the MSU Veterinary Medical Center this year.
Elsa: First Reported TPLO in a Goat
Elsa, a Nigerian Dwarf doe, suffered a serious cruciate ligament tear. This type of injury normally results in amputation in goats, but Elsa’s circumstances came with a catch: she had already lost a hindlimb as a kid. She could not afford to lose another.
Surgeons at MSU began to think creatively about how they might employ a procedure not seen before in goats.
“Unlike in dogs and people, cruciate injuries are not common in goats,” says Dr. Ashley VanderBroek, large animal surgeon and assistant professor. “But the possibility of bringing Elsa back to happy life where she plays with her goat friends mean that we wanted to go for it.”
The surgery was performed successfully in collaboration with veterinary orthopedics expert Dr. Loïc Déjardin, W. O. Brinker Endowed Chair of Veterinary Surgery. Elsa recovered well, with walking and weight-bearing ease. Her family reports that she is back to enjoying her meadow and time with her fellow goats.
Kora: I-Loc Implant Saves a Leg
Kora, an 8-year-old Angora and LaMancha cross, suffered a femoral fracture that was unusually high on the bone—near the hip—making it unfeasible to use a typical approach of securing the fracture with a plate and screws.
VanderBroek consulted Déjardin once again. Together, they assessed that the I-Loc interlocking nail, a surgical implant designed by Déjardin, was an option, even though the nail was most commonly used for dogs and cats.
The two surgeons’ assessment proved wise. Kora’s bone was affixed with the implant, and her recovery was smooth. She could bear some weight on the operated limb by the time she was discharged, and over the following weeks, her bone healing progressed nicely.
