Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Accuracy of internal brace implants for dog knee stability after TPLO
By Wylie, Sebastian et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2025·The Ralph Veterinary Referral Center, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of femoral isometric placement accuracy of internal brace implants and its impact on stifle stability in the management of pivot shift phenomenon following TPLO.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 39 dogs undergoing surgery for knee stability issues (tibial plateau leveling osteotomy or TPLO) had internal brace implants placed to help with a specific knee problem called pivot shift phenomenon. The study found that accurate placement of these implants was crucial for improving knee stability, with a higher success rate seen in one type of implant (SwiveLock) compared to another (FASTak). After six weeks, most dogs showed improvement in their knee stability, indicating that proper implant positioning can lead to better outcomes.
People also search for: dog knee surgery recovery · TPLO surgery success rate · pivot shift phenomenon in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of accurate isometric placement of internal brace implants on stifle stability following tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) in dogs with pivot shift phenomenon and to propose a novel classification system for pivot shift grading. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. ANIMALS: A total of 39 dogs (46 stifles) undergoing TPLO with internal brace augmentation using SwiveLock and FASTak implants. METHODS: Medical records, intraoperative assessments, and radiographs were reviewed. Femoral implant positioning was classified as accurate or inaccurate. Pivot shift was graded pre-, intraoperatively, and at 6-week follow-up using a simplified two-grade system. Learning curves for implant accuracy were compared between implant types. Statistical analyses included χand t-tests, with significance set at p < .05. RESULTS: Accurate implant positioning was achieved in 29 of 46 stifles (63.0%). SwiveLock implants were significantly more likely to be accurately placed than FASTak anchors (p = .016), with higher patient weight correlating with improved accuracy (p = .012). SwiveLock implants reached an accuracy rate of 78.6% compared to 38.9% for FASTak (p = .014). At follow-up, mean pivot shift grade improved in 90.9% of stifles (p < .001). Inaccurate implant positioning was significantly associated with increased internal tibial rotation (p = .009) but not with the pivot shift grade (p = .142). CONCLUSION: Accurate isometric placement of internal brace implants is critical for optimizing stifle stability and addressing pivot shift following TPLO. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Enhanced implant accuracy and a standardized pivot shift classification may improve surgical outcomes and guide postoperative management in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40747958/