Australasian Veterinary Examination (AVE), formerly the National Veterinary Examination (NVE) · Australia / New Zealand · Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC)
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersFractures and their fixation, joint, tendon and ligament disease, lameness examination in horses and cattle, hoof and claw disorders, diagnostic nerve blocks and rehabilitation.
In the exams: ICAR AIEEA-PG 13 (Surgery & Radiology); NAVLE equine 14.7% and bovine 13.3% species weighting
How our questions for Australasian Veterinary Examination, formerly the National Veterinary Examination spread across the units of Veterinary Orthopaedics & Lameness. Difficulty: 6 easy, 23 medium, 5 hard.
| Joint diseases | 6 | |
| Tendon and ligament injuries | 5 | |
| Hoof and claw disorders | 5 | |
| Fractures | 4 | |
| Equine lameness examination | 3 | |
| Diagnostic nerve blocks | 3 | |
| Bovine lameness examination | 3 | |
| Physiotherapy and rehabilitation | 3 | |
| Fracture fixation | 2 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
A 5-month-old Labrador has a displaced fracture that passes through the distal femoral epiphysis into the stifle joint and continues across the physis and metaphysis. What is the most appropriate management principle?
B. Anatomical reduction and rigid internal fixation, as it is an articular Salter-Harris type IV fracture
A fracture crossing epiphysis, physis and metaphysis is Salter-Harris type IV and involves the joint, so the joint surface must be reconstructed exactly and fixed rigidly. A bandage cannot immobilise the femur. Rest alone leaves an incongruent joint. An IM pin alone does not control rotation or collapse.
Why are positive-profile threaded pins preferred to smooth pins in external skeletal fixators?
C. They resist pin loosening and pull-out at the bone-pin interface
Threads engage the cortex and resist loosening, the commonest complication of fixators. Positive-profile pins are usually placed after pre-drilling, should not slide, and still need connecting bars.
Which single measure has the strongest evidence for reducing clinical signs of osteoarthritis in an overweight dog?
D. Weight loss to an ideal body condition
Weight loss consistently improves lameness in overweight dogs with osteoarthritis. Evidence for nutraceuticals is mixed, prolonged rest causes stiffness and muscle loss, and long-term systemic corticosteroids carry serious adverse effects.
During examination under sedation, a 6-month-old dog's hip is pushed dorsally with the limb adducted, then abducted, and a clunk is felt as the femoral head drops into the acetabulum. This finding is:
C. A positive Ortolani sign, indicating hip laxity
The clunk of reduction as the subluxated femoral head re-enters the acetabulum is the Ortolani sign of hip laxity. The drawer test is a stifle test, a normal hip does not subluxate, and a luxated hip does not reduce and re-luxate with this manoeuvre.
Which test detects cranial cruciate ligament insufficiency in a dog by flexing the hock while holding the stifle at a standing angle?
D. Tibial compression test
In the tibial compression test, flexing the hock tightens the gastrocnemius and pushes the tibia cranially if the cranial cruciate ligament is deficient. The Ortolani test is for hip laxity, and the other names are not standard tests for the CrCL.
A dog with a lacerated common calcaneal tendon stands with the hock dropped, and the toes are held curled when the gastrocnemius part is ruptured but the superficial digital flexor tendon is intact. This stance is described as:
A. Plantigrade, with flexed, claw-like toes
Loss of gastrocnemius function drops the hock into a plantigrade stance; if the SDFT remains intact it tightens and flexes the toes. Palmigrade refers to the forelimb, and the other descriptions do not match.
A horse trotting in a straight line raises its head when the left forelimb lands and drops it when the right forelimb lands. Which forelimb is lame?
A. Left forelimb
The head rises when the lame forelimb bears weight and drops when the sound limb lands (down on sound). The head drops on the right, so the right is sound and the left is lame.
A cow has acute lameness with marked swelling above the coronary band of one claw and a discharging tract. What does this suggest?
A. Deep digital sepsis involving structures such as the distal interphalangeal joint
Unilateral swelling above the coronary band with a tract indicates infection of deep structures such as the DIP joint, navicular bursa or tendon sheath. Sole haemorrhage and heel erosion are superficial, and hyperplasia is a firm interdigital growth.
Which form of equine laminitis is now considered the most common?
A. Endocrinopathic laminitis associated with insulin dysregulation or PPID
Endocrinopathic laminitis linked to equine metabolic syndrome or pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction is now regarded as the commonest form. Supporting-limb, road and sepsis-related causes occur but are less common.
After TPLO in a dog, which instruction is most appropriate in the first weeks?
D. Short controlled lead walks and home exercises; no off-lead running until the bone has healed
Controlled lead walking and progressive exercises protect the osteotomy while preventing stiffness and muscle loss. Unrestricted activity risks implant failure, a cast causes fracture disease, and prolonged non-weight-bearing is unnecessary.
Ten here, 34 in the app. The Laisha app has every practice question we have written to Australasian Veterinary Examination, formerly the National Veterinary Examination in this subject, marked as you go, with timed papers, a jump-to-unanswered list and a certificate when you pass at 70 per cent.
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