Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Partial scapulectomy surgery to treat shoulder sarcomas in dogs
By Trout, N J et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1995·Department of Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Partial scapulectomy for management of sarcomas in three dogs and two cats.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog and two cats had surgery to remove part of their shoulder blade due to tumors called sarcomas. After the surgery, the dogs showed good limb function for up to two years, while one dog had ongoing issues due to the cancer spreading. Another dog had some improvement for three months but showed reduced strength in the affected leg. In some cases, the surgery helped maintain limb function and could be a good option instead of amputating the leg.
People also search for: dog shoulder blade tumor surgery · cat sarcoma treatment · dog limb function after surgery
Abstract
Three dogs and 2 cats were treated by partial scapulectomy for management of sarcomas of the proximal aspect of the scapula. Surgical margins were considered complete in all cases. In 3 animals, limb function was excellent for 8, 18, and 24 months, respectively, after surgery. Poor limb function persisted in 1 dog that developed local metastatic disease to the affected forelimb. One dog had good limb function for 3 months after surgery and underwent force-plate analysis, which determined a reduction in peak vertical force, decelerating force, and stride time for the affected limb, compared with that for the forelimb that was not subjected to surgery. Tumor recurrence associated with fibrosarcomas was detected in 2 animals. In selected cases, partial scapulectomy can preserve limb function and may be considered a viable alternative to limb amputation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7649770/