Veterinary Blog - Research to Reduce Risk in Sacroiliac Stabilization Procedure | Movora

VOI Implants Used for Research to Reduce Risk in SI Procedure

Supporting research that advances pet health by continually improving surgical procedures and outcomes

Veterinary Orthopedic Implants (VOI), a Movora company, recently provided implants for experimental lab research to improve the outcomes of sacroiliac (SI) joint stabilization surgery for canines.

The companies of Movora are solely focused on the advancement of pet health, doing work designed to support veterinarians, veterinary surgeons, and companion animal patients. Supporting research like the study published in Veterinary Surgery led by John Hanlon DVM and co-authored by Caleb Hudson, Alan Litsky, and Stephen Jones is one way we bring our vision to life: to improve the quality of life and enhance mobility for companion animals.

SI joint luxation is a common veterinary injury often seen alongside pelvic fractures. Injured pets experience discomfort and lameness, and the internal impact of this instability includes nerve damage. There is a surgical technique to stabilize the joint, but it has its own risks and complications. The study’s authors sought to evaluate the outcomes of an improved technique: using two short screws in place of a single, long screw.

According to study co-author Dr. Stephen Jones, “We know that surgeons weigh the risks of the procedure with the intended outcomes. If we can reduce those risks, more patients can be candidates for surgical stabilization and can benefit from the improved outcomes associated with surgery.” 

Using shorter screws is intended to reduce risk of damage in this narrow area where the spinal canal, associated nerve roots, spinal discs, and key hindlimb blood vessels are all present. And indeed, the study’s authors found that sacroiliac luxation fixation using two short screws did create a mechanically superior construct. They saw a larger region of acceptable implant positioning and potentially reduced risk of iatrogenic injury compared with conventional fixation.  

“We had the hypothesis that two short, cortical screws could give better mechanical stabilization of the SI joint, and the testing we did supports that,” said Dr. Caleb Hudson, co-author of the study. “We’re able to give these patients better stabilization with even greater safety, and that’s a real improvement for these pets.”