Figure 1

The most common tumor of the musculoskeletal system in dogs is osteosarcoma. The most frequent presentation is in large and giant breed dogs with the tumor affecting the appendicular skeleton. This presentation will concentrate on treatment of the local tumor and the novel therapies that are currently being developed.

Microwave ablation is a form of heat ablation where microwaves are used to create an electromagnetic field that forces oscillation and rotation of molecules. The increased kinetic energy from the oscillations creates heat that is evenly distributed through the tissue and kills tumor cells within the zone of ablation by heating the tissues to greater than 55°C to induce acute coagulative necrosis. A pilot study has reported initial data on the use of microwave ablation to treat distal radial osteosarcoma in dogs.

Histotripsy is an experimental focused ultrasound technology where acoustic energy generated by an extracorporeal transducer is focused on a target volume inside the body. Conceptually histotripsy is more similar to shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) than to high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). Developments to use histotripsy to treat osteosarcoma in dogs will be discussed.

3D-printing is being used more and more commonly in medicine to provide a “personalized” approach to treating different conditions. 3D-printing has been used to fabricate custom implants for limb sparing of the distal radius. This approach is currently being developed to perform limb sparing of the proximal humerus. A new approach to limb sparing also includes developing endoprostheses that are 3D-printed with a material that is bioreplaceable. This is likely to significantly reduce the risk of complications.

Stereotactic radiation therapy is an excellent way to non-invasively way to treat osteosarcoma locally. However, one of the most common complication is a pathologic fracture sometime after the treatment is finished. A novel treatment is being developed to prevent and potentially treat these fracture. The treatment is designed to be minimally invasive and is called canalized, reinforced cementoplasty.