Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Long-term bone density changes after dog knee surgeries TPLO and TTA
By Leach, Elizabeth S et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2018·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Long-term effects of tibial plateau leveling osteotomy and tibial tuberosity advancement on tibial plateau subchondral bone density in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of medium to large breed dogs that had undergone surgery for knee problems (either tibial plateau leveling osteotomy or tibial tuberosity advancement) were studied to see how their knee joint bone density changed over time. The researchers found that while the surgery might change how weight is distributed in the knee, the overall bone density changes were minor and didn't seem to affect how well the dogs were functioning. This suggests that even with ongoing arthritis after surgery, the bone density changes may not be a major concern for pet owners.
People also search for: dog knee surgery recovery · TPLO surgery effects · tibial tuberosity advancement outcomes
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate long-term loading patterns using subchondral bone density (SBD) distribution of the tibial plateau after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) and tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA). STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. ANIMALS: Adult (> 2 years), medium to large breed dogs (>20 kg) that had been treated with TPLO or TTA at least 1 year prior to the study were recruited. A normal cohort of similar age and weight dogs with normal physical and orthopedic examinations served as control. METHODS: Dogs were sedated for computed tomography (CT) of the stifle, and DICOM (digital imaging and communications in medicine) files were processed for CT osteoabsorptiometry (CTOAM). Tibial plateaus were sampled at 6 zones, and CTOAM was used to determine regional and maximal areas of SBD as a marker of joint loading. RESULTS: Data were collected on 48 stifles in 31 dogs (15 TPLO, 11 TTA, 22 control). Lower Hounsfield unit (HU) values were measured in the caudal and mid-region of the lateral tibial plateau after TPLO and compared to normal. HU values did not differ between joints treated with TTA and those in the control group. CONCLUSION: TPLO may alter stifle load distribution relative to the normal control group. There were no differences between TTA and the control group. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE/IMPACT: Despite ongoing osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs after surgical intervention for cranial cruciate disease, changes in tibial SBD are minor and may not correlate with clinical function.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29607519/