Long‐term arthroscopic assessment of intra‐articular allografts for treatment of spontaneous cranial cruciate ligament rupture in the dog

Abstract

Objective: To assess the 12-month survival of intra-articular, decellularized allografts for the treatment of cranial cruciate ligament disease (CCLD) in dogs. Study design: Prospective case series.Animals: Twenty client-owned dogs with spontaneous CCL rupture. Methods: Affected stifles were treated solely by implantation of an intra-articular, decellularized, deep digital flexor tendon allograft. Functional outcome was evaluated at baseline and at 6 and 12 months after surgery with the Liverpool Osteoarthritis for Dogs questionnaire and force platform gait analysis. At 12 months after surgery, dogs underwent arthroscopy to visually assess the allografts.Results: Scores on owner questionnaires (improved 62.5%; P = .005) and ground reaction forces (improved 34.4%; P = .017) were improved in all dogs 12 months after surgery. Dogs with an intact graft (IG) were more likely to have a successful outcome compared with dogs with a torn graft (P = .011).According to arthroscopy, 45% of grafts seemed to survive at 12 months after surgery. Conclusion: About half of intra-articular allografts survived 12 months after implantation in CCL-deficient stifles. Dogs with IG had successful outcomes at 12 months after surgery according to assessment by force platform gait analysis. Clinical significance: These results preclude immediate clinical application but provide evidence to justify further investigation of intra-articular grafts as a repair option for CLLD.

Best practices for measuring and reporting ground reaction forces in dogs

“…It also increases the chance that a measurable change (improvement after an intervention) can be documented in the study. The asymmetry index is a valuable outcome measure in longitudinal studies, 23,24 but it is ideal if these data are reported in conjunction with other GRFs.…”

“…15,34,35 Fixed velocity ranges have also been used in many clinical trials of homogenous and heterogeneous populations of lame dogs. 14,24,[36][37][38][39] However, when using a fixed velocity in a heterogenous population, some dogs may be required to walk or trot outside of their preferred velocity. Although experiences vary, a larger number of passes over the force platform may be needed to obtain the required number of valid trials.…”

“…14 These normal GRFs have been compared to diseased dogs of a similar size and evaluated at the same trial velocity to report the proportion of dogs that returned to near normal function. 24,39 This allows the reader to understand and communicate how an intervention influences the proportion of dogs that approach normal function. This can be used in addition to any comparison between intervention groups.…”

“…It also increases the chance that a measurable change (improvement after an intervention) can be documented in the study. The asymmetry index is a valuable outcome measure in longitudinal studies, 23,24 but it is ideal if these data are reported in conjunction with other GRFs.

Consensus statement: Studies with subject heterogeneity should report how the influence of heterogeneity on GRFs were controlled. Complex gait abnormalities are common and can be studied but reports should include how change in GRFs with an intervention might be influenced by gait complexity.

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Comparison of Semi-Cylindrical Recession Trochleoplasty and Trochlear Block Recession for the Treatment of Canine Medial Patellar Luxation: A Pilot Study

“…Since PVF and VI are not independent variables, a multivariate approach that evaluated PVF and VI together was used to evaluate limb function. [19][20][21] A symmetry index was calculated for pre-and postoperative PVF and VI using the formula SI…”