Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
When dogs need implant removal after tibial plateau leveling
By McDougall, Renee A et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2021·Department of Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Timing of and risk factors for deep surgical site infection requiring implant removal following canine tibial plateau leveling osteotomy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 433 dogs that had surgery to fix a knee problem (tibial plateau leveling osteotomy or TPLO) was studied to see how often they developed deep infections that required the removal of the surgical implant. Out of these dogs, 144 developed infections, which is about 3%. Male dogs and German Shepherds were found to be more likely to need their implants removed due to these infections. The average time for implant removal was about 279 days after surgery. While this complication is rare, knowing these risk factors can help pet owners manage their dog's recovery better.
People also search for: dog TPLO surgery infection · German Shepherd knee surgery complications · male dog surgical site infection
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify demographic risk factors for deep surgical site infection (SSI) requiring tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) implant removal and time to implant removal. ANIMALS: Four hundred and thirty-three dogs that underwent a TPLO (144 that developed a deep SSI and required implant removal, 289 that did not). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. METHODS: Records of dogs undergoing implant removal due to a deep SSI after TPLO between 2006 and 2018 at two referral centers were reviewed. These records were frequency-matched by date to dogs undergoing TPLO that did not require implant removal. Multivariable analyses tested associations between demographics and implant removal as well as timing of implant removal. RESULTS: Deep SSI and implant removal occurred in 144 of 4813 (3.0%; 95% CI: 2.5, 3.5) dogs treated with TPLO. Implant removal was performed at a median of 279 days (range 49-2394 days) postoperatively. Male dogs (OR 1.8; 95% CI: 1.2, 2.7) and German Shepherd dogs (GSDs) (OR 7.4; 95% CI: 2.6, 20.5) were associated with plate removal. Earlier TPLO plate removal was associated with GSDs only (HR 2.4; 95% CI: 1.4, 4.1). CONCLUSION: Implant removal due to SSI after TPLO was uncommon, although male dogs and GSDs seemed predisposed to this complication. SIGNIFICANCE: These demographic risk factors can be used to educate owners regarding perioperative management.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33826172/