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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

A retrospective study of the rate of postoperative septic arthritis following 353 elective arthroscopies.

Journal:
The Journal of small animal practice
Year:
2011
Authors:
Ridge, P A
Affiliation:
Ridge Referrals · United Kingdom

Plain-English summary

A study looked at the risk of developing an infection in the joints after having arthroscopy, which is a type of surgery done on small animals. The review included 353 procedures performed on 305 pets, and only three of them developed an infection afterward, which is about 1%. This suggests that while there is a small risk, arthroscopy is generally a safe option for pets needing this type of surgery. Overall, the treatment appears to be effective with a low rate of complications.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To report the rate of postoperative septic arthritis following elective diagnostic and surgical arthroscopy in small animals within a clinical setting. METHODS: A retrospective case review from the case log of one veterinary surgeon. RESULTS: Of the 353 procedures included, performed on 305 animals, there were three cases of postoperative sepsis (0.85%). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Interventional arthroscopy including both diagnostic and surgical arthroscopy in small animals is a safe technique and poses a risk of postoperative sepsis of approximately 1%.

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Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21906062/