Study into different treatment methods of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs with and without injury of the meniscus

摘要

It is known that lesions of the medial meniscus may appear after surgery on cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs. In order to prevent meniscal injuries, a meniscal release is recommended by SLOCUM and DEVINE SLOCUM (1998) in case a tibial plateau leveling osteotomy is performed. In this study dogs were examined that had been operated on, using a lateral imbrication technique to treat a cranial cruciate ligament rupture. The analysis focused on the question whether an intact meniscus had been released or an injured meniscus had been partially resected. The operation results were supported by clinical examination and radiology. The owners were interviewed about the course of illness and limb function.The owners of 116 dogs, that had been operated on 133 stifle joints were contacted 8 to 53 months after surgery. In 6 patients a second meniscal surgery was necessary because of a persisting problem. Among these were 4 (5,6%, n=72) who had undergone a meniscal release and 2 (3,3%, n=61) who had undergone a partial meniscal resection. Ninetysix stifles of 82 patients were re-examined and radiographs were taken. A meniscal release had been performed in 52 cases (54,2%) and a partial resection of the medial meniscus in 44 (45,8%) cases. Significantly more stifles were painful in patients with released menisci. Apart from that the results of re-examination, radiographs and interviews with the owners did not show any significant differences between the two groups.According to the results of this study, neither a better limb function nor a lower rate of second surgeries can be expected after meniscal release of an intact meniscus compared to partial resection of an injured meniscus.