A 10-year-old Amur tiger with arthritis underwent hip replacement surgery at a zoo outside Chicago on Wednesday, and her surgical team is confident the procedure will add years to her life.

Veterinarians at Brookfield Zoo noted that, like humans, animals routinely develop degenerative problems in their joints as they age. When the tiger, Malena, arrived at the zoo last year, she had already been diagnosed with arthritis of the hip and was receiving pain relief medications.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Cook, of the University of Missouri, who led the surgery team, said the 6.5-hour surgery was very challenging and took longer than expected. But he said the operation was a success and that the tiger seemed to have full range of motion in her hip after the procedure.

A CT scan determined that veterinarians wouldn’t be able manage the tiger’s hip and keep her comfortable without performing surgery.
Florida-based medical device maker Arthrex used data from Malena’s CT scan to design, manufacture, and donate a custom-made implant that is specifically designed for Malena’s joint.
Malena is not the first tiger to undergo total hip replacement. Previous attempts with non-custom implant designs in a snow leopard, a cheetah and a tiger in Germany have had mixed success.
According to Adkesson, the post-operative period is going to be challenging because of the need to keep Malena quiet and calm.