Cyrano Gets a New Knee in a Groundbreaking Surgery

Cyrano beat bone cancer in 2010, but bone deterioration caused him pain and limited his movement. Last week he got a new knee that signaled an advance in such replacements for both pets and people.

Cyrano, the beloved 20 pound orange tabby cat “child” of Sandy Lerner, received chemotherapy and radiation therapy for bone cancer at Colorado State University in 2010, leaving him with pain and decreased mobility from the bone deterioration in his hind leg.

Cyrano’s large size and hefty weight made him a less than perfect candidate for amputation, and his pet parent is able and willing to pay for treatment, so Cyrano had knee replacement surgery last Thursday at North Carolina State University. Cyrano’s replacement will afford him far greater range of movement and a smoother gait than the handful of cats who have had knee replacement surgery in recent years. A British cat named Missy received the first total knee replacement in 2009, with a surgery that was not transferable to humans. Cyrano’s groundbreaking surgery is expected to herald improvements in such replacements for both cats and humans.

The surgery went well, and Cyrano was expected to be up on his feet sometime this week.

For details on the story and the surgery, see the College of Veterinary Medicine at NC State blog.

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