43rd Annual Basic Equine Arthroscopy

August 19 - 20, 2026

EARLY BIRD EXTENDED! Register by June 19, 2026 to save $200 with our early bird pricing!

Course Description

Registration for this course is now closed.

In its 43rd year, the Basic Equine Arthroscopy Course has been a foundation for equine surgeons around the world. Drs. Wayne McIlwraith, Chris Kawcak, Wes Sutter, Ryan Carpenter, and Brad Nelson will use a combination of easy-to-understand didactic lectures, video demonstrations and extensive, practical hands-on lab training to teach you the basic instrumentation and principles of equine arthroscopy. You’ll learn diagnostic arthroscopy of the carpus, fetlock, and tarsocrural joints and gain experience in removing osteochondral fragments. This course will prepare you for the Advanced Equine Arthroscopy course.

Access to this course will expire one year (365 days) from the course’s end date. After this period, users will no longer have access to course materials, resources, and any associated content. It is the responsibility of the users to complete the course and download any materials including their course completion certificate.

Course Technology Requirements:

To ensure a smooth learning experience, this course requires basic web navigation skills and proficiency in using a computer to successfully complete. Participants should be comfortable with tasks such as browsing websites, accessing online resources, downloading/saving documents, and navigating through course materials.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact our support team at [email protected].

Agenda

2026_Q3_BasicEquine_Flyer

Instructors

Dr. Wayne McIlwraith

BVSc, PhD, FRCVS, DSc, DACVS, DACVSMR, University Distinguished Professor and Founding Director of Orthopaedic Research Center

McIlwraith, a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences is the founder of the Orthopaedic Research Center at CSU. He is also the namesake of the new C. Wayne McIlwraith Translational Medicine Institute, which aims to deliver medical innovations by harnessing the body’s healing powers to help animals and people suffering from a wide range of diseases.

His research interests focus on equine orthopedic surgery and joint disease research, including novel treatments for osteoarthritis and articular cartilage repair, mesenchymal stem-cell and gene therapies, and early diagnosis of osteoarthritis and pre-fracture disease using imaging and fluid biomarkers.

McIlwraith has authored six textbooks, 450 scientific publications and textbook chapters, and has delivered more than 650 scientific presentations, seminars and workshops around the globe. He also holds the Barbara Cox Anthony University Chair in Orthopaedics and is director of the Musculoskeletal Research Program, a CSU Program of Research and Scholarly Excellence

Dr. Chris Kawcak

DVM, PhD, DACVS, DACVSMR

Dr. Kawcak is one of a team of researchers working to find ways to prevent and treat catastrophic injuries in equine athletes. Kawcak is assessing three-dimensional imaging techniques, MRI and CT to diagnose early joint disease and microscopic joint injuries before these develop into serious injuries. Working with researchers in biomedical engineering the team has developed biomechanical models to assess risk factors specific to each individual athlete with implications for human bone and joint disease.

Dr. Wes Sutter

DVM, MS, DACVS, DACVSMR

Wes Sutter grew up in Wyoming and did his undergraduate and veterinary degree at Colorado State University. He did a surgical residency and master’s degree at The Ohio State University. Following his residency, he was a tenure track assistant professor of equine orthopedic surgery at The Ohio State University. He then took a position as an associate surgeon at Ocala Equine Hospital in Florida under John Madison, VMD. After 5 years, he moved to Kentucky where he co-founded Lexington Equine Surgery and Sports Medicine. Recently, he co-founded Kentucky Equine Hospital. Currently he manages the hospital and has a referral surgical practice focusing on orthopedics, upper airway surgery and lameness.

Dr. Ryan Carpenter

DVM, MS, DACVS

Dr. Ryan Carpenter graduated from UC Davis, school of veterinary medicine in 2005 and went on to complete a surgical residency and combined masters program at Colorado State University where he conducted orthopedic research projects focusing on gene therapy and fracture healing under the direction of the Equine Orthopedic Research Center at CSU. Ryan spends his mornings as an active racetrack practitioner in the shedrow at Santa Anita and Del Mar and his afternoons in the hospital specializing in orthopedic and upper airway surgery. When not at the track, Ryan enjoys spending time with his wife, Jill and daughters Brooklyn and Taylor and Billy, the family pup.

Dr. Brad Nelson

DVM, PhD, DACVS

Dr. Brad Nelson is currently an associate professor of Lameness and Orthopaedic Surgery at Colorado State University. Dr. Nelson graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a D.V.M. in 2009, and then completed an equine internship in surgery and medicine at Washington State University, followed by a residency in equine surgery and lameness at CSU. He also received a master’s degree in clinical sciences as part of the residency program. Following residency, Dr. Nelson completed a PhD focused on articular cartilage imaging using a novel contrast agent with computed tomographic imaging in an equine model. Dr. Nelson’s research interests are in the detection of articular cartilage injury and osteoarthritis using advanced diagnostic imaging modalities and preclinical surgical models of orthopedic disease. He joined as faculty in 2019 and is a principal investigator in the Orthopaedic Research Center and Preclinical Surgical Research Laboratory.

Travel

Questions about where to stay while you’re here? Our “Hotel Map” shows a few of the closest hotels to CSU VetCE.

Northern Colorado and the City of Fort Collins offer many great indoor and outdoor activities to explore. For an up-to-date list of activities, visit their website.

Policies

Participant Cancellation Policy: Course attendees can cancel their registration for an in-person course according to the following schedule:

More than 60 days prior: Full refund or 100% Future Transfer Credit (FTC).
30-60 days prior: 50% refund or 100% FTC.
Fewer than 30 days prior: 75% FTC only. No cash refunds are permitted within 30 days of the event.
To ensure fairness and consistency for all attendees, this policy applies universally to all cancellations, including those caused by illness or unforeseen circumstances.
Future Transfer Credits can be applied to any course within 365 days of the cancelled course.

Course Cancellation Policy: Course cancellations due to low registration numbers or other unforeseen program circumstances will be announced 35 days or more prior to the course start date. In this event, a full refund of the course registration or a 100% Future Transfer Credit (FTC) will be provided. CSUVetCE is not responsible for, and will not reimburse, any travel, lodging, or incidental expenses incurred by the participant.

Course Access Policy: