Bear

Enormous English Mastiff Bear has a big problem. At 95 kgs, this gentle giant has come to Fitzpatrick Referrals after suffering a ruptured cruciate ligament in his knee, and is in significant pain. Over time, the joint becomes inflamed and the femur (thigh bone) moves abnormally relative to the tibia (shin bone). Noel explains that replacement of the ligament isn’t advisable since it’s likely to rupture again.

Instead, he performs an arthroscopy to clean up the damaged ligament and check that there is no irreparable damage to the cartilage. Then he cuts the tibia bone to lessen the slope such that the femur can’t slip backwards anymore (much like a truck slipping backwards down a hill), and secures the cut portion with two large plates and screws. It takes a major team effort to get this massive patient safely through surgery.