Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Patella fracture after TPLO surgery in 6 dogs and recovery
By Rutherford, Scott et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2012·Croft Veterinary Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fracture of the patella after TPLO in 6 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of six dogs developed a patellar (kneecap) fracture after undergoing a specific knee surgery called tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). Most of these dogs were limping when the fracture was discovered, and they showed signs of thickening in the patellar tendon on X-rays. Fortunately, all dogs were treated without surgery, and none experienced ongoing limping afterward. While the fractures did not heal in two of the dogs based on follow-up X-rays, they still managed to function well without persistent issues.
People also search for: dog limping after TPLO surgery · patellar fracture treatment in dogs · TPLO surgery complications
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical findings of dogs that sustained patellar fractures after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: Dogs with patellar fractures that occurred after TPLO surgery (n = 6). METHODS: Medical records (November 1, 2008-October 31, 2010) were reviewed to identify dogs with patellar fracture occurring after TPLO. RESULTS: Six of 305 (2%) dogs had a patellar fracture after TPLO; 5 dogs were clinically lame when the fracture was diagnosed and all had radiographic evidence of patellar tendon thickening. All dogs were treated nonsurgically. In 2 dogs where follow-up radiographs were available there was no evidence of fracture union. No dog had a persistent lameness. CONCLUSION: Fracture of the patella is an uncommon complication of TPLO surgery. Nonsurgical management can provide a satisfactory functional outcome.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22759207/