Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Complications after surgery for lateral kneecap dislocation in dogs
By Shaver, Stephanie L et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2014·Departments of Surgical and Radiological Sciences.·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Complications after corrective surgery for lateral patellar luxation in dogs: 36 cases (2000-2011).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 36 dogs with a knee problem called lateral patellar luxation (where the kneecap slips out of place) underwent surgery to fix it. Unfortunately, more than half of the dogs experienced complications after the surgery, with the most common issue being that the kneecap slipped out again in about 21% of the cases. The study found that dogs that had both knees operated on at the same time were much more likely to have this problem compared to those that had just one knee done. To reduce the chances of this happening, it might be better to do the surgeries one at a time.
People also search for: dog knee surgery complications · lateral patellar luxation treatment · why is my dog limping after surgery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and severity of complications after corrective surgery in dogs with lateral patellar luxation (LPL) and identify risk factors for reluxation. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 36 client-owned dogs with 47 affected stifle joints. PROCEDURES: Medical records of dogs that underwent surgical correction of LPL at 1 of 2 veterinary teaching hospitals between 2000 and 2011 were reviewed. Data analyzed included signalment, grade of luxation, orthopedic comorbidities, surgical procedures performed, frequency and type of complications, and whether a second surgery was performed. RESULTS: A total of 36 dogs with 47 affected stifle joints met the inclusion criteria. Complications were recorded for 24 of 47 (51.1%) stifle joints; there were major complications for 18 of 47 (38.3%) stifle joints. All complications were confirmed through examination by a veterinarian. The most frequent complication was reluxation, which was detected in 10 of 47 (21.3%) stifle joints. Dogs that underwent bilateral surgical repair during a single anesthetic episode had odds of reluxation that were 12.5 times the odds of reluxation for dogs that underwent unilateral surgical repair. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Complication rate after corrective surgery for LPL was high, with reluxation being the most common complication in this population of dogs. Performing staged bilateral surgeries may decrease the risk of reluxation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24479459/