Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgery to reduce tibial slope in young dogs with knee ligament injury
By Vezzoni, A et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology : V.C.O.T·2008·Clinica Veterinaria Vezzoni, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Proximal tibial epiphysiodesis to reduce tibial plateau slope in young dogs with cranial cruciate ligament deficient stifle.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of young dogs with knee problems due to a torn cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) underwent a special surgery called proximal tibial epiphysiodesis to help stabilize their joints. This procedure involved inserting a screw to change the angle of the tibial plateau, which is important for proper knee function. After the surgery, all dogs showed a decrease in the tibial slope, which helps reduce stress on the knee joint. The amount of change varied based on the dog's age and breed, but overall, the surgery was effective and minimally invasive, leading to better joint stability as the dogs continued to grow.
People also search for: dog knee surgery CCL · young dog knee problems · tibial plateau slope surgery · cranial cruciate ligament treatment in dogs
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of proximal tibial epiphysiodesis to reduce the tibial plateau slope in young dogs with cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) deficient stifles. Of the 14 treated dogs, eight had a bilateral injury, for a total of 22 joints. After physical and radiographical examination and measurement of tibial plateau slope, all of the dogs underwent surgery. Insertion of the screw was placed in the most proximal part of the tibial plateau, in its medio-lateral centre, aiming to the tibial shaft and using a K wire predriven as a guide; correct position of the screw was confirmed with intraoperative fluoroscopy or radiography. In all of the dogs the tibial slope was decreased at the time of physis fusion and the degree of change depended on the age and the breed of the dog at the time of surgery. The minimum change was 4 degrees and the maximum was 24 degrees. There was a statistically significant difference between tibial slope measured before surgery compared to tibial slope measured at the last follow-up visit after surgery. This study shows that the partial proximal tibial fusion in dogs with ACL injuries was effective in reducing the tibial slope during the residual growing time to such an extent to stabilize the joint, provided that the surgery had been carried out when there was still residual growing potential. The technique appeared to be mini-invasive and malalignment complications could be avoided by correct and precise insertion of the screw.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18704241/