Joint instability commonly occurs due to ligament or tendon injury leading to pain and lameness. Ligament injury commonly occurs secondary to trauma or chronic overloading of the joint. Traumatic ligament tears can be treated by:

1. Primary Repair
2. Ligament Reconstruction
3. Osteotomy Techniques
4. Bracing Techniques
5. Arthrodesis

Primary repair of ligaments is performed using appropriate suture materials and patterns. Ligament reconstruction is performed using biological grafts or prosthetic materials. Osteotomy techniques may be used to balance forces and stabilize the joint. Arthrodesis may be indicated if ligament reconstruction is unlikely to adequately stabilize the joint or cases of severe osteoarthritis.

Tendon injuries also occur secondary to acute trauma or chronic repetitive stress. Mild tendon injuries may be treated by coaptation or regenerative medicine. Coaptation includes bandages, commercial braces and custom orthotic braces. Regenerative medicine may be promote and speed healing using modalities such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), stem cells, shock wave or LASER. Tendon repair is performed using special tension-relieving suture patterns to give strength and discourage gap formation. Tendon reconstruction is also possible using biologic grafts. Severe tendon tears may also require arthrodesis to adequately support the adjacent joint.

This course will discuss diagnosis and treatment of injuries of the shoulder, carpus, tarsus, hip, stifle and common calcaneal tendon. Participants will have the opportunity to use state of the art implants to treat a variety of ligament and tendon injuries.

1. Learn primary repair techniques for ligament and tendon injuries
2. Learn methods of ligament reconstruction using prosthetic materials
3. Learn how to use an osteotomy to shift load on a joint to treat instability
4. Learn techniques of regenerative medicine to treat musculotendinous injury
5. Learn techniques of immobilization to treat joint instability