Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Higher complication rates after knee ligament surgery in Boxers
By Levien, A S et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2013·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Retrospective analysis of complications and outcomes in Boxers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers undergoing cranial cruciate ligament surgery.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that Boxers undergoing cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) surgery had a higher chance of complications compared to other breeds. Out of 33 Boxers, nearly 40% experienced complications, and about 18% needed additional surgery. In contrast, Staffordshire Bull Terriers did not show a higher risk of complications than other breeds. While both Boxers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers had more issues with a specific surgical technique, the overall outcomes were similar across all groups after two years. Pet owners should be aware of these risks when considering CCL surgery for their Boxers.
People also search for: Boxer CCL surgery complications · Staffordshire Bull Terrier knee surgery risks · dog knee surgery recovery time
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether Boxers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers (SBT) have a higher incidence of complications or a worse outcome after cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) surgery compared with control breeds. DESIGN: The design was a retrospective cohort study with data reviewed from medical records and outcome assessed by owner questionnaire. RESULTS: The cohort included 210 canine stifles comprising 33 Boxers, 47 SBTs and 130 controls. For Boxers, the overall complication rate (39.4%), major complication rate (30.3%) and revision surgery rates (18.2%) were significantly higher than those of the control groups (14.6%, 10.8% and 4.6%, respectively). Overall, SBTs were no more likely to suffer complications or repeat surgery than the control group. Considering only lateral fabello-tibial suture (LFS) stabilisation, both Boxers (32.0%) and SBTs (23.3%) had higher complication rates than the control group (6.3%). There were no significant differences in outcome among the Boxer, SBT and control groups; median follow-up time was 2 years (range 0.5-7 years). CONCLUSIONS: The overall complication rate for Boxers undergoing CCL surgery was higher compared with other breeds of dog. When surgical techniques were analysed separately, the LFS was associated with a higher complication rate in Boxers and SBTs. Further investigation into breed-specific surgical techniques is indicated.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23718790/