Caroline Lucarelli: Cartilage Research/Equine Surgery: Week 6

Posted in: Caroline Lucarelli, Pinhead Intern Blogs, 2019 Interns
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My internship is officially over and the ending was bittersweet. I am happy to return to my small mountain town but sad to leave all the great people I met behind. My last week at the clinic was very fun, on Monday I observed a neurectomy. This neurectomy was performed due to the extensive damage to the navicular bone and lesions found at the insertion of the deep digital flexor tendon. In surgery four small incisions were made, two over the lateral digital palmar nerve and two over the medial digital palmar nerve. On each side the never was located proximally and distally and then completely removed from the proximal incision. This will numb from the fetlock down for the next six months to a year. The following days at the clinic were composed of joint injections, bone scans, and lameness exams. One severe lameness exam showed extensive rotations on radiographs and visabe side bone. This horse received a new pair of shoes in the hope of correcting the angles of his feet. On Friday I saw a resection of an infected umbilicus. Once the surgery had begun and upon dissection, we found an abscess on the eurokos. From here the whole abscess was removed including the umblicious. Later that day I watched a sequestrum removal surgery. This sequestrum occurred due to a deep skin lesion that compromised the periosteum and caused a fairly large section of bone to die. Also an emergency came in with a deep laceration on the medial side of the right hock. This cut was so deep that the bone was exposed. The wound was three days old, so it was too late to suture it up so a large bandage was placed. To wrap up the week I said goodbye to all the amazing doctors that helped me learn so much during my time in Auburn.

 

This week was the end of the research project that I was working on. My lab mate Hannah and I worked hard to compile the findings of this summer’s testing. We had lots of meetings with engineering professors who did all the mathematical work on the data. Here we made conclusions from the data that was shown. Thursday Hannah presented the data for her summer scholars program. She did an amazing job! Now both Dr. Hanson and Dr.Jackson are working on a paper with the findings from this summer and last. 

 

This week was also filled with goodbye dinners. I went out Wednesday with both host families. Then on Thursday I went to my favorite place Tacorita with all the friends I made at the vet school. It was sad to say goodbye to everyone but I am very grateful for the time I had in Auburn.

 

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