Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Long-term outcomes of two surgeries for dog knee ligament tears
By Moore, Elisabeth V et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2020·Surgery Department·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Extended long-term radiographic and functional comparison of tibial plateau leveling osteotomy vs tibial tuberosity advancement for cranial cruciate ligament rupture in the dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with torn knee ligaments (cranial cruciate ligament rupture) were treated with two different surgical methods: tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) and tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA). After following these dogs for over three years, it was found that those who had the TPLO surgery experienced less pain, better mobility, and a slower progression of arthritis compared to those who had TTA. The TPLO dogs had fewer issues with walking, jumping, and overall quality of life. This suggests that TPLO may be the better option for long-term recovery in dogs with this condition.
People also search for: dog knee surgery options · TPLO vs TTA recovery · dog limping after knee surgery · cranial cruciate ligament tear treatment · dog arthritis after surgery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report extended long-term outcomes of dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture treated by tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) or tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective clinical cohort study. ANIMALS: Client-owned dogs with ≥3 years follow-up (118 dogs, 166 stifles). METHODS: Records from June 2012 to May 2015 were reviewed. Follow-up examination and radiography were performed in dogs meeting the inclusion criteria. Measures of outcomes included a radiographic osteoarthritis score (preoperative, 8 weeks postoperative, and ≥3 years postoperative), the Canine Brief Pain Inventory, and the Canine Orthopedic Index. RESULTS: Ninety-four dogs treated with TPLO (133 stifles) and 24 dogs treated with TTA (33 stifles) met the inclusion criteria. All dogs underwent meniscal release or partial medial meniscectomy. Osteoarthritis score progressed more after TTA (P = .003) and in dogs with bilateral surgery (P = .022). Long-term outcomes that were better after TPLO compared with TTA included average pain in the last 7 days (P = .007), interference with walking (P = .010), morning stiffness (P = .004), jumping (P = .003) and climbing (P = .040), limping during mild activities (P = .001), and overall quality of life (P = .045). CONCLUSION: Osteoarthritis progressed more after TTA and in dogs with bilateral stifle surgery. Dogs treated with TPLO subjectively seemed to have less pain and fewer mobility issues. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy provides a better long-term radiographic and functional outcome than TTA.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31287180/