Summary
Treatment of cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture using fascial replacement techniques
have yielded good clinical results, with 85% to 93% of dogs returning to clinical
soundness or intermittent lameness as evaluated by surgeons or owners, but have not
been evaluated by force plate analysis long-term. The purpose of this study is to
document the long-term clinical and radiographic outcome of dogs having CCL rupture
stabilized with an underand- over fascial graft technique by owner assessment, clinical
examination, force plate analysis, plain film radiography, and scintigraphy. Twenty
dogs with previously repaired unilateral CCL rupture were used for the study. Although
client satisfaction was high, force plate analysis revealed significantly lower vertical
forces and impulses in the operated versus unoperated limbs. Radiographs and bone
scans revealed significant bony changes and synovitis in the operated stifle relative
to the unoperated stifle at a median of 17.5 months following repair. Lameness persists
in dogs having undergone CCL repair using the under-and-over fascial graft technique;
whether this lameness is secondary to progression of osteoarthritis or is a result
of surgical repair is unknown.
The under-and-over fascial strip technique for stabilization of cranial cruciate ligament-deficient
stifles has been evaluated using force plate analysis and nuclear scintigraphy. A
median of 17.5 months following surgery, dogs are bearing less weight on the operated
limbs as compared to the unoperated limbs. Significant synovitis and bony changes
are present when compared to the unoperated limb as evaluated by scintigraphy. Despite
these changes, clients are satisfied with the results of surgical repair.
Keywords
Cranial cruciate ligament - ground reaction force - scintigraphy - stifle - surgical
management - under-and-over fascial graft
