MSU forensic anthropologists work to reduce injury in dog knee surgery

An unexpected collaboration between forensic anthropologists and veterinarians could help reduce ligament injuries during total knee replacement, or TKR, surgeries in dogs.

Joe Hefner, a forensic anthropologist in the Michigan State University College of Social Science, and Savannah Holcombe, a doctoral student in the MSU Forensic Anthropology Laboratory, partnered with researchers from MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Cambridge Veterinary School in the United Kingdom to improve the accuracy of identifying collateral ligament attachment points — where fibrous tissue connects to bones — in dogs. Their goal is to enhance surgical planning by providing orthopedic veterinarians with more precise imaging and anatomical reference points.

Hefner explained many TKRs in dogs are less successful due to the limited visibility of the lateral and medial collateral ligaments in presurgical scans.

“If a medial or lateral ligament is damaged during surgery, the dog’s mobility can be severely affected,” Hefner said. “The leg will never regain its original mechanical strength.”

To address this, Matthew Allen, a professor of small animal surgery at the University of Cambridge, reached out to Hefner for his expertise in 3D digitization of bone specimens, which allow scientists to look at a bone on a computer screen from all angles — just like holding it in real life — without needing the actual bone.

“The goal of this project was to create a scanning method that enables precise surgical cuts using dry bone specimens as a reference — that’s where we came in,” Hefner said.

Using the Artec Space Spider, a high-resolution 3D scanner, Holcombe created detailed 3D digital models of the femur, tibia and fibula from 12 donor dogs. The bones, which varied in size, were marked with fluorescent green dots to indicate the exact attachment points of the medial and lateral collateral ligaments.

“The final scan resembled high-resolution photographs, capturing every detail in full color and allowing for interactive 3D viewing,” Holcombe said. “Because the scanner records both color and surface detail, it accurately captured the fluorescent markers showing where the ligaments attach.”

Hefner and Holcombe’s background in forensic anthropology — rather than veterinary medicine — helped bring a fresh perspective to the project. Their research, titled “Evaluation of Collateral Ligament Location and Risk of Injury During Total Knee Replacement in Dogs,” won the Collaborative Grant Award at the Veterinary Orthopedic Society’s 52nd Annual Conference.

As the research progresses, Hefner and Holcombe hope their scans enhance surgical precision and significantly reduce the risk of ligament injury during TKRs.

“It’s exciting to explore a more anatomy-focused area of the field,” Holcombe said. “Using MRI and 3D scans for clinical purposes, like reducing surgical risk, is a valuable way we can contribute as anthropologists.”