Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How tibial wedge osteotomy changes knee angles in dogs with ligament
By Bailey, C J et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology : V.C.O.T·2007·North Shore Veterinary Specialist Centre, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Geometric implications of the tibial wedge osteotomy for the treatment of cranial cruciate ligament disease in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with cranial cruciate ligament injuries underwent a tibial wedge osteotomy (TWO) to help stabilize their knees. This surgery aims to reduce the slope of the tibial plateau, which can help improve their mobility. However, the study found that the angle after surgery often ended up steeper than the ideal 6 degrees, especially if the bone alignment wasn't correct. To achieve better results, it's important for veterinarians to align the cranial cortices properly and perform the osteotomy closer to the knee.
People also search for: dog knee surgery recovery · cranial cruciate ligament injury treatment · tibial wedge osteotomy for dogs
Abstract
The tibial wedge osteotomy (TWO), a procedure that reduces the tibial plateau slope, has become an established surgical technique for the treatment of cranial cruciate ligament injuries in dogs, yet variation from the desired postoperative tibial plateau slope of 6 degrees has been noted. The objectives of this study were to investigate the geometric implications of this procedure and to identify factors that affect the postoperative angles. The records of 35 consecutive cases that had a TWO performed were reviewed and comparisons were made between the alignment of the cortices and level of the osteotomy using duplicated tracings of a preoperative radiograph. The existing method for calculating the size of wedge to be removed was found to result in a postoperative slope greater than the expected 6 degrees. Our results indicate that the desired postoperative angle is more likely to be achieved if the cranial cortices are aligned and the osteotomy is performed proximally.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17846681/