Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Why follow-up X-rays matter after dog knee surgery
By Brincin, Charlie et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2023·Highcroft Veterinary Referrals, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: The value of routine radiographic follow up in the postoperative management of canine medial patellar luxation.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs that had surgery for medial patellar luxation (a knee problem) were brought in for routine follow-up visits, where they received X-rays to check their recovery. In most cases, the X-rays did not change the treatment plan, especially if the dog showed no signs of pain, lameness, or other issues. Only a small number of dogs had changes in their recovery recommendations based on the X-ray results. This suggests that for dogs recovering well without any concerns, routine X-rays may not be necessary.
People also search for: dog knee surgery recovery · medial patellar luxation follow-up · dog X-ray after surgery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of radiographic examination on the recommendations made at the time of planned re-evaluation of dogs after medial patellar luxation (MPL) surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective multi-institutional case series. ANIMALS: Client-owned dogs (N = 825) that underwent MPL surgery. METHODS: Records of 10 referral institutions were searched for dogs that had been treated surgically for unilateral MPL and underwent a planned follow-up visit, including radiographs. The frequency of, and reasons for, changes in further recovery recommendations were investigated. RESULTS: Follow up was performed at a median of 6 (range, 4-20) weeks postoperatively. Isolated radiographic abnormalities were identified in 3.3% (27/825) of dogs following MPL surgery and led to a change in recommendations in 3% (13/432) of dogs that were presented without owner or clinician concerns. Lameness, administration of analgesia at follow up, and history of unplanned visits prior to routine re-examination were associated with a change in postoperative plan (P < .001). In the absence of owner and clinician concerns, the odds of having a change in convalescence plans were not different, whether or not isolated radiographic abnormalities were present (P = .641). CONCLUSION: Routine radiographs at follow up did not influence postoperative management of most dogs after MPL surgery in the absence of abnormalities on clinical history or orthopedic examination. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Dogs that were presented for routine follow up after unilateral MPL surgery without owner concerns, lameness, analgesic treatment or a history of unplanned visits, and for which examination by a surgical specialist was unremarkable, were unlikely to benefit from radiographs.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36625290/