Summary
The objective of this study was to determine whether clinical outcomes were superior
and complication rates were lower in dogs that had had a cranial cruciate ligament
rupture treated by tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO), compared to those dogs
that had been treated using the original cranial tibial wedge osteotomy (CTWO) procedure.
Thirty-seven client-owned dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture were included
in the study: 19 dogs underwent a TPLO procedure, and 18 dogs underwent a CTWO procedure.
The study was retrospective, with the data being obtained from medical records and
a review of radiographs. The long-term outcome was assessed by means of an owner questionnaire
using a visual analogue scale. For the majority of factors that were reviewed, there
was not a significant difference in outcome between the dogs that had a TPLO or those
that had undergone a CTWO. All of the dogs showed a rapid return to weight bearing
after surgery, and at the six week re-examination, the majority of the dogs did not
have any pain on stifle palpation. They displayed a good stifle range of motion and
significantly lower lameness scores than those prior to surgery. The complication
rates did not differ between the procedures, however, within this small sample of
dogs, complications following a CTWO were more likely to require revision surgery.
Keywords
Plateau levelling - tibia - osteotomy - cruciate
