These pilot data quantified the effects of surgical procedures most commonly combined to treat MPL. We hope to use these measurements to correlate surgical treatment with functional outcome and postoperative occurrence of luxation.

LFS and TPLO remain good options for stabilizing stifles with CrCL injury with all dogs showing significant functional improvement. This study does not support the superiority of either surgical technique.

CC, METB, and CCB should be considered as viable options to limit soft tissue swelling after extracapsular repair of CCLR in dogs.

The meniscal release (MR) is used to minimize meniscal pathology after Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) surgery. The purposes of this study were: (i) to describe meniscal orientation in a unaltered cadaveric canine stifle, a cruciate deficient stifle, TPLO repaired stifle with and without the MR using magnetic resonance imaging; (ii) to determine if the abaxial release is equivalent to the axial release in its ability to affect caudal pole displacement in a TPLO repaired stifle and (iii) to evaluate with MRI the effect of MR on the femorotibiol articular cartilage contact area in a TPLO repaired stifle. Briefly, cadaver limbs were placed into a jig designed to mimic a weight-bearing stance at 140 degrees and 90 degrees at the stifle. The limbs were sequentially evaluated from the unaltered state; after cranial cruciate ligament transection; after TPLO stabilization; and finally after a meniscal release. No significant difference was found between the intrameniscal area (IMA) of the abaxial and axial meniscal releases although there was an increase in the IMA after the meniscal release compared to the IMA in the normal, cranial cruciate ligament deficient stifle, and TPLO stabilized stifle. In the abaxial release, a meniscal remnant remained in situ and provided a space effect between the femur and the tibial plateau. This is in contrast to the axial meniscal release, where the entire caudal pole of the medial meniscus relocated caudolaterally and consequently permitted more direct femorotibial contact. Overall, however, there was evidence of caudal pole compression of the medial meniscus throughout the MRI series which was ameliorated by either of the MR procedures.