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Additional Fee
Additional Fee
By Invitation Only
By Invitation Only
Hybrid Laboratory
Hybrid Laboratory
Preregistration Recommended
Preregistration Recommended
Recorded for On-Demand
Recorded for On-Demand
Working Group
Working Group
Eligible for ACVS MOC
Eligible for ACVS MOC

Small Animal

Improving Patient Safety for Spinal Stabilization

Saturday, October 25, 2025
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM  

Eligible for ACVS MOC

While there are many indications for spinal stabilization, such as instability due to trauma, anomalies, and degenerative or pathologic conditions, applying rigid fixation to various spinal locations with complex vertebral anatomy remains challenging. Poor implant choices or incorrect application might lead to failure of the surgical construct or detrimental iatrogenic injury. In this seminar, speakers focus on appropriate planning for spinal stabilization and intraoperative strategies to improve implant placement, with the ultimate goal of the application of a safe and effective spinal stabilization construct.

Learning Objectives:

  • Upon completion, participants will be able to: use diagnostic imaging for pre-operative patient-specific planning of spinal stabilization
  • apply intraoperative strategies to assess proper implant placement to assure patient safety and implant efficacy
  • identify cases for the use of 3D printed guides and explain preoperative requirements and intraoperative application

Presentations:

  • 8:00 AM - 8:15 AM  
    Striving to Be Safe and Effective by Planning Your Spinal Stabilization

    Speaker: William M. Karlin, DVM, MS, DACVS (Large Animal), DACVS (Small Animal) (he/him/his) – Tufts University

  • 8:15 AM - 8:30 AM  
    Finding Your Way Around the Spinal Canal: Strategies for Intra-op Implant Placement

    Speaker: Bianca Hettlich, DACVS, DECVS, MRCVS (she/her/hers) – Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover

  • 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM  
    When, Where, How? 3D Printing in Spinal Stabilization

    Speaker: Claudia Zindl, DVM, GPCert(SAS), MRCVS (she/her/hers) – AO Research Institute

  • 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM  
    When Things Go Bad: Complications with Spinal Implants

    Speaker: Sharon C. Kerwin, DACVS, DACVIM (Neurology) (she/her/hers) – Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M