Whether you’re a new graduate or an experienced vet, planning your veterinary CPD can help you choose courses that support your interests or patch up gaps in your knowledge or skills. Veterinary orthopaedic courses are perfect for vets who want to work towards becoming an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Orthopaedics, or who do a lot of orthopaedic work and want to brush up on a particular skill. We have so many courses available, they can get a bit confusing - so this article is here to help you see, compare, and decide which orthopaedic course is for you.
Our veterinary orthopaedic certificate courses for 2026
PgC/GPCert in Small Animal Surgery
Although this programme is general small animal surgery, 9 of the 23 modules in this veterinary postgraduate certificate programme cover orthopaedics, with a further 2 modules covering spinal surgery. If you successfully complete the assessments you get a globally recognised ISVPS GPCert in Small Animal Surgery, and you can convert this to a PgC from Harper Adams University with an additional module, which allows you to apply for RCVS Advanced Practitioner status. Even better, this small animal surgery certificate can confer credits towards a Professional Master’s Degree (MProf) - a learn-while-you-earn veterinary Master’s - for those who want to continue their study with us.
On this small animal surgery course, you’ll be learning everything from urinary surgery to thoracic surgery in the soft tissue modules, and the orthopaedic modules include fracture repairs, internal fixation, and bone grafting. The next course runs from February 2026 to July 2027 and is blended, with online modules interspersed with practical sessions in Sheffield or Swindon. To minimise travel time and the time spent away from practice, the practical sessions are grouped together into week-long practical blocks.
Find out more about the blended small animal surgery certificate.
Advanced Certificate in Small Animal Orthopaedic Surgery
This advanced orthopaedics certificate is a practical programme designed to help vets excel in orthopaedic surgery. It consists of 14 modules covering everything from TPLOs and CCWOs to neurosurgery and is taught by orthopaedic specialists in three one-week blocks starting in May at our Clinical Excellence Centre in Swindon.
On successful completion of the assessments, you’ll be rewarded with the General Practitioner Advanced Certificate from ISVPS – a globally recognised certificate allowing you to use the postnominals GPAdvCert (Ortho).
Find out more about the veterinary orthopaedic surgery advanced certificate.
Foundation Certificate in Arthroscopy Techniques in Small Animal Practice
This standalone CPD course is one of our innovative ‘Focus 20’ range. You’ll get 40 hours of CPD and 20 ISVPS credits as well as a Foundation Certificate (FCert) and postnominals too. Starting in April 2026, you'll have online lessons followed by a four-day, hands-on practical workshop in our state-of-the-art wet lab facilities in Swindon. Whether you already have a surgery certificate and need the CPD to maintain your RCVS Advanced Practitioner status, or you want detailed CPD in veterinary arthroscopy to support other vets in your practice, this is fantastic course.
Find out more about the foundation certificate in arthroscopy.
Our short, practical veterinary orthopaedic courses for 2026
We hold a huge number of practical workshops for vets in the UK each year, many in orthopaedic surgery. The courses are held in dedicated facilities in Swindon or Sheffield and numbers are capped to ensure a fantastic learning experience. If the dates shown don't suit you, feel free to use the 'register your interest' course to hear about similar courses, or get in touch with our CPD Advisors who can help to find the best option for your stage of development.
Introduction to Orthopaedic Surgery
For those looking for an introductory veterinary orthopaedic course that’s very practical, this short course is perfect. Over two days, you’ll get 12 hours of veterinary CPD in a combination of lectures and practicals. You’ll cover fracture planning, cruciate disease, and patella luxation, as well as the correct use of plates, screws, pins, and cerclage wires, making it the perfect introduction to veterinary orthopaedic surgery skills. We’ve got dates available in March and June and, for those interested, you can also book the Next Steps in Orthopaedic Surgery practical course (see below) to advance your new skills further.
Find out more about the introductory veterinary orthopaedic surgery practical course.
Next Steps in Orthopaedic Surgery
This orthopaedic CPD course is aimed at vets with some orthopaedic experience who want to advance their skills to the next level. Over two days, you’ll get 12 hours of CPD made up of lectures, group discussions, and practical CPD using cadavers. The course focuses on fracture planning, increasing your confidence and success handling complex fractures. We’re holding this practical CPD course in our Clinical Excellence Centre in Swindon in December.
Find out more about the ‘next steps’ veterinary orthopaedic course.
TPLO Masterclass
The TPLO masterclass provides 12 hours of CPD for vets on orthopaedic techniques. Over two days, you'll cover cruciate disease, surgical planning, and the TPLO technique. The second day is entirely cadaver-based practice, allowing you to perfect your TPLO surgical techniques, along with some radiography to help assess your success. For 2026, we’re holding this one in April (Swindon) and July (Sheffield). It’s recommended that you’re already familiar with bone plates and screws – if you’re a little rusty, why not take the Introduction to Orthopaedic Surgery course (above) first?
Find out more about the TPLO Masterclass practical course for vets.
Arthrodesis Masterclass
Another fantastic masterclass in veterinary orthopaedics, this is a two-day CPD course on arthrodesis. You’ll learn how to identify cases that need pancarpal and pantarsal arthrodesis and how to plan, operate, and manage them post-surgically. It’s perfect for orthopaedic vets needing some discipline-related CPD, or vets developing an orthopaedic interest who might move onto our Small Animal Surgery Certificate next year. For 2026, we’re holding this course in March at our Clinical Excellence Centre in Swindon – don't miss out!
Find out more about our 'arthrodesis masterclass' course.
Feline Orthopaedic Surgery - Managing the Trauma Patient
This is a 2-day practical course for vets providing 12 hours of CPD in feline orthopaedic trauma. This is an advanced course for vets who already understand fracture fixation, lag screw fixation, and orthopaedic surgical techniques, with the course focussing on the differences between dogs and cats. You’ll learn how to repair common feline fractures and take pre- and post-operative radiographs. The next course is running in October 2026.
Find out more about the practical course in feline trauma for vets.
Introduction to Neurosurgery
While not strictly orthopaedics, we thought we’d mention our veterinary neurosurgery courses here as well, as there's a lot of overlap in surgeon preference! This introductory-to-intermediate course covers CSF taps, epidural injections, and various types of thoracolumbar decompression surgeries. It's perfect for those studying a related qualification and wanting more practical time, or as a standalone course for surgically-experienced vets wanting to start in this field.
Find out more about the introduction to veterinary neurosurgery course running at the end of April in Swindon.
Neurosurgery Masterclass
For those more experienced vets, or those who have already attended the introductory class, the veterinary neurosurgery masterclass is a fantastic option to progress. It’s designed for those who already perform (or assist with) some neurosurgery and who want to extend their techniques to include hemilaminectomies, ventral slot procedures, corpectomies, and fracture fixation. This is not a basic class, and it's recommended that vets take full advantage of the reading list before attending the session in July to ensure they get the most out of it.
Find out more about the three-day veterinary neurosurgery masterclass.
Summary - a veterinary orthopaedic course for everyone!
At Improve Veterinary Education, we strive to provide valuable CPD courses for modern veterinary professionals. As you can see, our range of veterinary orthopaedic courses is huge, providing you with exceptional choice to help you fulfil your potential. However, if you need more help choosing a course to suit you, why not request a callback from our fantastic team of veterinary CPD advisors, who will be pleased to help you examine your current skill set, identify gaps, and suggest the right courses to meet your career plan.
More help with your CPD
If you need more help with planning your CPD for a fulfilling career, our CPD & Career Hub is full of our expert advice to help you make the most of your CPD requirements. Or, why not head over to our Clinical Library to read the latest articles from top veterinary authors, watch our webinars, and download pocket guides and posters to help with all aspects of veterinary practice?
