TDK conference 2024

In our companion animals, the reasons for the need for amputation can be varied: trauma, tumour resection, ischaemia, but also infectious or congenital causes. Prostheses can now be implanted in pets to remedy this, with intraosseously implanted types being particularly favoured as they are proportionately less likely to lead to prosthetic failure in our pets than their conventional socketed counterparts.

In our study, we implanted intraosseous prostheses in three cats over one year old with unilateral hindlimb loss at tibia level. Our aim was to reconstruct as best as possible their leg function and gait pattern before their amputation, gradually imposing loads on their affected limbs during their rehabilitations.

The surgeries were preceded by an implant planning process in cooperation with other universities (firstly the DE and the PTE, now the BME). The design of the implants varied between the three operations, but in each case we used unique titanium intraosseous implants, called "ITAP", whose integration into the body was made permanent on two planes: on the one hand, we reinforced their stability of attachment to the bone with cortical screws, and on the other hand, we also made efforts to improve their bone integration by making the intraosseous part porous.

Success or failure was to be determined by the absence of complications in the postoperative period and the degree of active use of the operated leg after loading, and control radiographs, CT and histological examinations were performed to confirm the achievement of bone integration. In the first patient we reported implant failure due to septic complications in the early phase of recovery. In the second patient, we reached the stage of successful use of the foot with a standing superstructure and active weight-bearing, after which we had to accomplish a partial implant removal due to implant fracture. A histopathological examination of the removed piece was performed, which demonstrated the proper bone integration of the site. The post-operative period of our third patient was also without complications, and the design and fabrication of his superstructure is currently in progress.

The field of intraosseous prostheses in veterinary medicine has a paucity of literature not only in Hungary but also internationally. One of the reasons for this is that the design of such unique implants requires a lot of time and high financial investment. Yet, it is expected that the development of research (and the involvement of canine patients) increase the number of successful implantation procedures, within its own limits, but will increase the number of cases and may also provide an accessible option for limb-loss animals who, for whatever reason, find it more difficult to adapt to their new living conditions or who refuse other types of prostheses.