News | Torrington Orthopaedics | Andy Torrington

Christmas Crossword 2011

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:59:42 +0000

Most practices will have received their Christmas card from us by now. Inside is this year's crossword with £100 of Tesco Gift Vouchers up for grabs. Just to let you know that you can fill in the crossword electronically by following the link to our other site. You can also print the crossword out if you would rather post the answers:

Follow this link or click the image below to take part and to read the terms and conditions:

Nursing CPD for 2012

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:35:53 +0000

Just to let you know that I have updated the Veterinary Nursing CPD Program for 2012. Booking is via our other site at torringtonorthopaedics.com

You can follow links in the CPD pages or use the links below to browse and book there.

Torrington Orthopaedics Nursing CPD Diary 2012 This year we have a set of evening seminars each of which covers some of the fundamental and esoteric aspects of Small Animal Orthopaedic Nursing. With sponsorship from Pfizer we can also offer discounted course fees when booked online either individually or for the whole Nursing course (all 4 seminars). Places are generally limited to fifty delegates. The evenings start at 7:30 pm with a buffet and drinks with the seminar starting at 8 pm.

Nursing CPD for 2012

Date	Tutor	Course Title
Wednesday 18th January 2012	Rebecca Lunn and Leanne Wyatt	Orthopaedic Instrumentation
In this popular seminar our two Surgical Team Leaders will present a quiz based talk on the specialised instrumentation needed to perform orthopaedic surgery. They will also cover care, cleaning and sterilisation. There is a prize on the night for the highest marks in the identity practical! The course is suitable for SVNs to help brush up before their practical exams and for RVNs wanting a refresher
Wednesday 21st March 2012	Andy Torrington	Upper Motor Neurone and Lower Motor Neurone-The Mystery revealed!
In this talk Andy will clearly explain how to differentiate between Upper and Lower Motor Neurone injuries. Using his renowned 3D graphics he will cover the anatomy of the nervous system. We are confident that no one will leave this talk without a complete understanding of the subject and how knowledge of the anatomy and pathology informs treatment and nursing modalities.
Wednesday 20th June 2012	Lisa Thompson	Nursing the Spinal Patient
In this popular seminar Lisa will cover all aspects of Spinal Nursing from initial triage through to surgery and all the important aspects of post operative care. This seminar also includes some reference to the use of Rehabilitation.
Wednesday 3rd October	Lyn O'Byrne	Emergency Case Studies
This interesting evening will see Lyn taking a practical look at the nursing of common emergency and critical care cases, demonstrated through a series of case studies. This will include discussion of CPCR procedure.

Vet CPD for 2012

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:22:44 +0000

Just to let everyone know that the new program for 2012 Vet CPD is over on the blog site . Booking online with e mail confirmation and discounted prices are among the benefits of using the website to book this CPD.

We have a wide and varied schedule for the year:

Veterinary CPD for 2012

Date	Tutor	Course Title
Wednesday 25th January 2012	Fraser McConnell	MRI and CT Free CPD
Description: This evening seminar will be presented by Fraser McConnell BVM&S CertSAM DVR DipECVDI MRCVS. He will discuss these different imaging modalities in a way that will inform you of the indications and limitations of these two key forms of imaging. This should allow you to make informed decisions regarding these investigative techniques. The evening will not be "just about orthopaedics" but will look at soft tissue indications for these techniques.
Wednesday 22nd February	Turlough O'Neill	Juvenile Conditions of the Forelimb
Forelimb Lameness is notoriously difficult to investigate and manage. So what approach to take when the patient is still growing? In this talk Turlough will cover the commonly seen conditions associated with Juvenile lameness, discuss investigation and give an indication of how to come to a reasonable diagnosis, prognosis and treatment plan.
Wednesday 23rd May	Ciara Downes	Orthopaedic Odds and Sods
There are numerous little orthopaedic "oddities" that are rarely seen during anyone's career, but that can leave us all reaching for the textbooks when they present. In this interactive quiz based talk, Ciara will present a good mix of these conditions and explain what to do when you come acroos them. This promises to be a very entertaining and enjoyable evening.
Wednesday 18th July	Andy Torrington	Recent Advances in the Management of Cruciate Disease
In this talk Andy will present the current thinking on Cruciate Management. He will also explain how to strive for (and achieve) perfection in the application of the TTA technique in particular and critique some of the other new products being released onto the market. How can we all achieve a better outcome for our patients?
Wednesday 21st November	Ciara Downes	Neuromuscular Odds and Sods
In this quiz based talk, Ciara will cover some of those unusual Neuromuscular oddities that can present such a challenge to diagnose and treat. This should be a lively interactive evening and there will be a prize for the delegate with the highest score by the end of the evening (just a bit of fun).

MRI and CT at Torrington Orthopaedics

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:51:00 +0100

Starting September 23rd with CT and then alternating between CT and MRI on a fortnightly basis thereafter

Download the referral form here…

iPhone App Store: Torrington Orthopaedics

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:46:54 +0100

Our App has been approved for the Apple App store. This gives you the opportunity to keep up to date with Small Animal Orthopaedic Topics, from a Vet and Owner perspective. Online CPD booking is there too. Vets can even book their patients for MRI and CT in the App!

Download it here:

New Newsletter Added

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 13:24:47 +0100

The most recent "Cutting Edge" Newsletter has now been uploaded. The subject of this edition is Cervical Disc Disease and follows on the back of Caira's well received seminar on the same subject. If you attended, then this is revision, if you missed it then catch up on some of the content in this newsletter. It is a comprehensive review of the causes of pain and neurological syndromes associated with Cervical problems. Approach to the patient with suspected cervical disease is also covered.

We hope you enjoy this instalment to the series.

Bilateral Total Hip Replacement

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 13:44:34 +0100

Whilst Hip Osteoarthritis secondary to Hip Dysplasia is very often a bilateral problem, most often patients only require a single Total Hip Replacement. This is because the benefit derived from having a mechanically perfect and pain free hip allows the other hip to be spared. In some patients however the progression of degenerative changes can result in increasing pain in the unoperated limb. This was the case in one of our patients recently. She has now had her second Total Hip Replacement. This means that for the first time in her adult life she has two perfect ball and socket joints that produce no discomfort and should allow a significant improvement in her quality of life.

Cementless Zurich Total Hip Replacement (Kyon) can be performed in any patient that has painful Hip Dysplasia from the age of seven months. Of course in young dogs we will generally try to manage their problem with medical management and Rehab, but for those whose quality of life is adversely affected, nothing will beat the outcome that can be achieved by successful Total Hip Replacement. Cementless systems become stronger over time as a result of bony ingrowth from the pelvis and femur into and onto the prostheses. This allows patients to do normal activities after recovery from surgery.

Bilateral Trochlear Prosthesis

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 13:33:36 +0100

One of our patients became one of the first in the world recently to have a second Trochlear Prosthesis performed to manage Patellar Luxation. This patient had the first surgery nine months earlier because of pain associated with cartilage loss on the surface of the patella as a result of Medial Patellar Luxation. When the same signs became evident in the unoperated stifle, the owners had no hesitation about having the same procedure performed on this stifle.

Some dogs with Patellar Luxation have a painful knee due to loss of the cartilage underneath the patella. This causes a grating sensation when the patella dislocates and the friction between the back of the patella and the ridge of the femur causes heat generation and pain.

The Trochlear Prosthesis has a Diamond Like Coating which results in a surface which has a very low coefficient of friction allowing the patella to glide up and down the deep groove without rubbing. This procedure therefore resolves the tendency for the patella to dislocate and relieves the painful contact and resulting friction.

If you are a pet owner and would like to know more simply follow this link.

If you are a veterinary Surgeon or Nurse, please have a look here.

Pay Online for CPD

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:46:38 +0100

Now booking and paying for attendance at our popular CPD events is even easier! Each page with course details has the request form as usual but now at the right of each page you can select the course you wish to attend and hit the "Pay Now" button. This will take you to a secure PayPal payment page that will allow you to pay online using your Debit or Credit card or if you have one, your PayPal account. It really couldn't be easier or safer. Security is guaranteed by PayPal's safeguards and security system. Many of our seminars have been over booked, so avoid disappointment and pay when you book.

Boston Kyon Symposium 2011

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:51:07 +0100

Kyon Boston Symposium 2011

An early start to an incredible weekend of Orthopaedics

Slobodan Tepic to the left of the image above is behind Kyon's commitment to Veterinary Orthopaedics.

Tufts Veterinary School

A small group was invited to trial innovative techniques to Tufts Vet School just outside Boston.

An excellent opportunity to practice some of the new surgical procedures.

Andy recently attended and presented at the Kyon 2011 Boston Symposium. Attended by over 150 delegates it was an excellent weekend of orthopaedic innovation and investigation. There are a number of novel techniques on the horizon for the management of common Small Animal Orthopaedic Diseases. These new techniques will be highlighted on this site so keep your eyes peeled for this exciting information.

Torrington Orthopaedics is one of only fifteen Orthopaedic centres to be able to offer Trochlear Prosthesis for Patellar Luxation and Stepped Ulnar Osteotomy for Elbow Dysplasia. These techniques were reviewed in Boston and the surgical procedures have now been standardised.

Leanne Passes her Diploma

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:21:10 +0100

Leanne DipAVN

Leanne with her confirmation letter.

Well done Leanne! All of that hard work really paid off.

Leanne is one of our Theatre Team Leaders and has recently passed her Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing. Her achievement brings the number of Diplomate Veterinary Nurses to five.

Torrington Orthopaedics is committed to providing optimal patient care by investing in the continued professional development of all of our staff.

THR Patients at 12 week check

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:37:55 +0000

Oblique view

This allows us to assess the increased thickness of the medial cortex of the femur

Oblique view

Ventrodorsal View

This view shows excellent hip Extension, one of the key benefits derived very early following surgery. The cup is also well incorporated into the Pelvis.

VD View Zak 12 Weeks Post Surgery

Lateral Projection

This view shows the relative positioning of the cup in the pelvis.

Lateral View

Following Total Hip Replacement we radiograph the patients at 12 weeks to establish that healing is complete. As we use the Kyon Cementless technique we are particularly interested in whether bone has grown into the perforated shell of the cup and that the stem is seated well on the medial wall of the femur.

Today two patients had their 12 week radiographs:

Zak is an 8.5 year old German Shepherd who had Left Hindlimb Lameness and Hip Pain. He had a Large Stem and a 29.5 mm Cup along with a medium head and neck. His 12 weeks radiographs are to the right:

Cassie is a 3 year old Siberian Husky with Right Hindlimb Lameness due to Hip Osteoarthritis as a result of Hip Dysplasia.

Cassie has a Medium Stem and Neck and a 26.5 mm Cup. Her radiographs are on the far right

Both of these patients no longer need pain relief and can get on with their lives, free from Hip pain and able to play normally with other dogs. Both Cassie's and Zak's owners have been completely committed to the post operative regime and they can now enjoy the benefits of their efforts.

Updated Spinal Section

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 16:24:51 +0000

Just to let you all know that there is now more content in the Spinal Problems section. It is still focussed on Thoracolumbar Disc disease but as we approach milder weather (hopeful?), this problem tends to become more common unfortunately. I have therefore added sections on Intervention and Aftercare. I hope you find these useful. I will shortly extend the spinal section to include Cervical Disc Disease so stay tuned. You can get a head start if you are a vet by attending Ciara's evening seminar on this subject. Check under the CPD section for booking forms.