Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cost-effective quick surgery option for dogs with knee ligament injury
By Griffon, Dominique J et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2025·Atlantic College of Veterinary Medicine, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Percutaneous extracapsular repair as a cost-effective alternative for treating cranial cruciate ligament deficiency in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with a torn knee ligament (cranial cruciate ligament deficiency) underwent a new, quicker, and cheaper surgical technique called percutaneous lateral fabellotibial suture (pLFS). This method took about 20 minutes less time and cost around $100 less than the traditional extracapsular repair. Two weeks after surgery, dogs treated with pLFS showed better limb function and less muscle loss compared to those who had the traditional surgery. While there was one case of infection that needed further surgery, overall, the pLFS technique proved to be a promising option for treating this common knee issue in dogs.
People also search for: dog knee ligament surgery options · cranial cruciate ligament deficiency treatment · pLFS surgery for dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the duration of surgery, cost, and outcomes associated with percutaneous placement of a lateral fabellotibial suture (pLFS) in dogs with unilateral cranial cruciate ligament deficiency (CCLD) treated in a low-cost clinical setting. STUDY DESIGN: Block randomized prospective clinical trial on 24 dogs. METHODS: Dogs underwent an exploratory arthrotomy and extracapsular repair (ECR) or pLFS. Intraoperative findings, cost, and duration of surgery were recorded. Each dog was evaluated preoperatively and 2, 6, and 12 weeks after surgery with a standardized owners' questionnaire, clinical examination, radiography, thermal imaging, and pressure gait analysis. Outcomes were evaluated longitudinally within dogs and between groups. RESULTS: The pLFS technique was faster (about 20 min) and more cost-effective (by about 100$) than the ECR repair ( = 0.01 and 0.03). The only major complication consisted of a surgical infection requiring revision surgery after pLFS. Limbs had less reduction in thigh diameter 2 weeks after pLFS (-1.2 ± 0.05%) compared to those treated with ECR (-5.5 ± 0.04%, = 0.03). The pressure placed on the operated limb averaged 78% of that of the contralateral limb 2 weeks after pLFS compared to 43% after ECR ( = 0.04). Similar results were obtained when comparing the ratio of activated sensors and relative stance time. No differences in owner assessment, radiographic progression of osteoarthritis, lameness scores, girth diameter, and gait analysis at the walk and trot were detected between groups. CONCLUSION: The pLFS was faster, more cost-effective, and improved limb function at 2 weeks compared to the ECR. These results justify the consideration of the pLFS as a low-cost alternative to ECR.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40822649/