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ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. curriculum, degree program SUMMARY. A competency-based curriculum involves defining set knowledge, skills, and values for a particular education. Many technical undergraduate majors have developed a list of competencies for evaluation, assessment, and improvement of higher education curriculum. This national Delphi study is the first concise list of competencies described for a horticulture curriculum. A sample of horticulture educators within the United States (n = 22) were selected as experts in horticulture education and curriculum improvement through an e-mail requirement letter sent to university chairs. Information on age, teaching position, and bachelor’s degree earned by panel member and department size was collected and it was determined these factors did not impact the panel members’ decision on ranking competencies. The three-round Delphi study results provide a list of competencies considered to be important or not important in the general horticulture education field. The final compilation of competencies describes a total of 108 specific learning outcomes, with 41 horticulture technical competencies, 34 life science technical competencies, and 33 professional competencies. Overall, this competency skills list may be useful for future assessment and development of horticulture curricula.

Two dogs were diagnosed with highly comminuted diaphyseal tibial fractures following traumatic incidents. Investigational hybrid interlocking nail (ILN) bolt/external skeletal fixator (ESF) pins were used to repair both fractures. The surgery was successful, and fractures healed without complications by 6 weeks (case no. 1) and 17 weeks (case no. 2) after surgery. This article describes the application and the advantages of a new, investigational ILN supplement that was specifically designed to accomplish initial rigid stability and allow progressive destabilization to the fracture repair. The authors are continuing to study the biomechanical properties of this procedure in order to accurately establish clear recommendations for its use in certain fracture situations.

SummaryInterlocking nails (ILN) have been successfully used to repair fractures of the humerus, femur, and tibia in dogs and cats. The purpose of these case reports is to describe two previously unreported complications of ILN use that occurred in three skeletally immature large breed dogs. Two cases of breakout of the ILN, through previously intact corticocancellous bone and one case of screw bending through the nail, resulted in loss of reduction and stability requiring additional surgery. Stability of the ILN construct depends upon proper placement of the ILN within the main fracture fragments, maximal medullary canal filling, and adequate nail and screw strength. In these cases, technical errors with ILN placement, relatively soft metaphyseal bone, as well as deficiencies in the ILN system may have factored into these failures.

In 2 Poodles, the cranial articular process of C6 was luxated and interlocked dorsal to the caudal articular process of C5. Surgical management in each case included reduction and stabilization of the articular processes, along with limited dorsal laminectomy. One of the dogs was completely normal 4 weeks after surgery, but the other had residual neurologic deficits 11 months after injury.

Bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis of uncertain cause developed in a 3-month-old Golden Retriever. A surgical procedure for tightening the diaphragmatic muscle was used to help alleviate the dog's respiratory distress. During thoracotomy, the central tendon of the diaphragm was plicated, using an interlocking suture pattern. The dog improved after surgery, and although complete recovery from paralysis was achieved only on one side, the dog has remained clinically normal 1 year after surgery.

Ten dogs and 1 cat with 12 chronically infected bones were treated surgically by means of saucerization, primary internal or external rigid fixation, and open irrigation drainage. After formation of a healthy granulation bed, autogenous cancellous bone grafting and skin closure were performed. Eleven of 12 bones healed 4 to 7 weeks (mean, 4.8 weeks) after treatment, without recurrence of infection. Eight of 12 chronically infected bones had a polymicrobial infection, with 2 to 6 bacterial species isolated. Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from 7 of the 12 bones, and anaerobic bacteria were isolated twice.

Restored teeth were extracted from test animals at four time intervals (1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, and 3 months) following amalgam insertion. Extracted teeth were frozen in liquid nitrogen, cryo-fractured so as to expose the pulps and then freeze-dried. Pulps were analyzed for mercury content by energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Mercury levels appeared below the detection limits of EDS but could be detected by AAS which showed the highest readings seven days after amalgam insertion.