Evaluation of partial cranial cruciate ligament rupture with positive contrast computed tomographic arthrography in dogs

Computed tomographic arthrography (CTA) of four cadaveric canine stifles was performed before and after partial cranial cruciate ligament rupture in order to verify the usefulness of CTA examination for the diagnosis of partial cranial cruciate ligament rupture. To obtain the sequential true transverse image of a cranial cruciate ligament, the computed tomography gantry was angled such that the scanning plane was parallel to the fibula. True transverse images of cranial cruciate ligaments were identified on every sequential image, beginning just proximal to the origin of the cranial cruciate ligament distal to the tibial attachment, after the administration of iodinated contrast medium. A significant decrease in the area of the cranial cruciate ligament was identified on CTA imaging after partial surgical rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament. This finding implies that CTA can be used for assessing partial cranial cruciate ligament ruptures in dogs

Therapeutic ultrasound as an aid in tibial fracture management in a dog

A six-year-old, male, neutered Bernese mountain dog was presented with acute left hind limb lameness. Based on the symptoms, orthopedic examination and radiographic evaluation, a cranial cruciate ligament rupture was diagnosed. Surgical treatment with TTA Rapid was performed with good result. At two weeks postoperatively, the dog developed a fracture of the proximal tibia, due to excessive activity. Conservative treatment consisting of a splint and rest was advised. Physiotherapeutic ultrasonography and exercises were started to stimulate bone healing. After eight sessions, the dog was clinically much better, and radiographs showed a good evolution with a clear callus. Follow-up controls confirmed the progressive evolution

Evaluation qualitative macroscopique et microscopique du grasset chez un modèle expérimental d'arthrose canine 90 jours après section du ligament croisé crânial

La transection du ligament croisé crânial (CCLT) est une méthode couramment admise d'induction expérimentale d'arthrose (OA) au niveau du grasset chez le chien. Le but principal de cette étude était d'évaluer qualitativement les lésions d'arthrose induites par la CCLT par macroscopie et histologie 90 jours après chez 21 jeunes femelles de race beagle. Les lèvres de la trochlée fémorale présentaient le plus haut score ostéophytique tandis que la patelle présentait le plus bas et celui du condyle fémoral médial était supérieur à celui du condyle latéral. Les lésions méniscales ont été observées uniquement sur le ménisque médial de 5 genoux opérés. Les lésions macroscopiques du cartilage (stade de fibrillation) ont été notées dans un ordre de fréquence décroissant sur les condyles tibiaux médial et latéral, le condyle fémoral latéral, la trochlée fémorale, le condyle fémoral médial et enfin la patelle. L'examen histologique a révélé que la couche superficielle du cartilage était fibrillée et discontinue. La plupart des cellules étaient rondes et disposées tangentiellement à la surface. Dans les zones transitionnelle et profonde, quelques chondrocytes étaient modérément hypertrophiques et des amas de chondrocytes ont été uniquement observés dans la couche profonde. Concernant la membrane synoviale, un épaississement du mésothélium et une importante densité de collagène ont été notés et le rapport des épaisseurs mésothélium/fibres était entre 1/0.15 et 1/0.10 sur les genoux opérés et 1/0.05 sur les genoux témoins. Les images fournies ici pourront servir de références pour des travaux ultérieurs portant notamment sur les thérapies contre l'arthrose

Diagnostic imaging of the canine stifle

C

Relationship between Tibial conformation, cage size and advancement achieved in TTA procedure

Previous studies have suggested that there is a theoretical discrepancy between the cage size and the resultant tibial tuberosity advancement, with the cage size consistently providing less tibial tuberosity advancement than predicted. The purpose of this study was to test and quantify this in clinical cases. The hypothesis was that the advancement of the tibial tuberosity as measured by the widening of the proximal tibia at the tibial tuberosity level after a standard TTA, will be less than the cage sized used, with no particular cage size providing a relative smaller or higher under-advancement, and that the conformation of the proximal tibia will have an influence on the amount of advancement achieved

The influence of conformation and gait of the hind limb of the aetiology of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in Rottweilers and Racing Greyhounds

The thesis investigates the hypothesis that the conformation and gait of the hind limb of certain large breeds of dog predisposes to rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament. It is divided into three parts.The first part studies the breed incidence of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs. The second compares the gait and conformation of the hind limb, with particular attention to the stifle joint, in two large breeds of dog, the Rottweiler, in which cruciate damage is common, and the Racing Greyhound, in which it is rare. The third part compares the biomechanical properties of the cranial cruciate ligament and osseous geometry of the tibial plateau in the two breeds.A survey of 72 general practices and 4 veterinary school case records showed a high incidence of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in the Rottweiler relative to its popularity in the general dog population and a lower mean age at the onset of clinical signs compared to all the other breeds affected. Cruciate ligament damage was rarely reported in the Racing Greyhound.Conformation and kinematic gait analysis of 28 Rottweilers and 28 Racing Greyhounds was done with a high speed cinecamera, recording at 50 frames per second, and a microcomputer-based gait analysis system. Frame by frame analysis of the cinefilm showed that the hind limb joints of the Rottweiler exhibited statistically significantly greater ranges of angular motion during the walk and trot compared to the Racing Greyhound. The stifle joint was more extended in the Rottweiler at the in commencement of weight-bearing and the stride length was greater, which together, lead to a tendency to overextend the stifle joint stressing the cranial cruciate ligament.Biomechanical testing of cadaver stifles in 13 Rottweilers and 15 Racing Greyhounds, at the flexion angles determined from the gait analysis, examined the stability of the joints and the material and structural properties of the cranial cruciate ligaments and their bony attachments when loaded in tension. The geometry of the tibial plateau was also investigated. The stifle joints became less stable with increasing joint flexion, the Rottweiler joint being consistently more lax than the Racing Greyhound. This may explain the tendency of the Rottweiler stifle joint to extend more fully than the Racing Greyhound, which is recognised as one mechanism of cranial cruciate ligament rupture. In extension, the tensile strength of the Racing Greyhound cranial cruciate ligament was statistically significantly greater than the Rottweiler, although the strength of the latter increased with increasing joint flexion. The contact angle between the femoral condyles and the tibial plateau changed as the joint was flexed, more so in the Rottweiler where there was a greater backward slope of the plateau.The conformation and gait of the Rottweiler hind limb does influence cranial cruciate ligament damage. The normal Rottweiler stifle joint is more extended than the Racing Greyhound at foot placement when the cranial cruciate ligament is weaker. As the joint flexes, the ligament is stronger but the greater backward slope of the tibial plateau contact point results in a greater force tending to move the tibia forward relative to the femur which must be counteracted by the cranial cruciate ligament. Therefore as the Rottweiler stifle joint flexes from full extension, the ligament and its attachments become biomechanically stronger but the load on the cranial cruciate ligament becomes greater

Aetiology and pathogenesis of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in cats by histological examination

Objectives The aim of this study was to examine histologically intact and ruptured cranial cruciate ligaments in cats, in order to evaluate whether degeneration is a prerequisite for rupture. Methods We performed a histological examination of 50 intact and 19 ruptured cranial cruciate ligaments in cadaver or client-owned cats, respectively, using light microscopy. Cats with stifle pathology were further divided into five age groups in order to investigate the relationship of changes in the ligament with lifespan. Cats with ruptured cranial cruciate ligaments were divided into two groups according to medical history, with presumed history of trauma or without any known history of trauma, in order to investigate the relationship of ligament rupture with a traumatic event. Data from 200 healthy cats were selected randomly and reviewed to make a statistical comparison of cats with and without cranial cruciate ligament rupture (reference group). Results On histological examination, the intact cranial cruciate ligaments showed basic parallel arrangement of the collagen fibres, with no relation to age. While cats of a more advanced age showed fibrocartilage in the middle of the cranial cruciate ligament, a likely physiological reaction to compression forces over the lifespan, degenerative changes within the fibrocartilage were absent in all cases, regardless of age or rupture status. Cats suffering from cranial cruciate ligament rupture without history of trauma were significantly older than cats in the reference group. Conclusions and relevance This study showed that differentiation of fibrocartilage in the middle of the cranial cruciate ligament is likely a physiological reaction to compressive forces and not a degenerative change associated with greater risk of rupture in advanced age. This finding in cats is distinctive from the known decrease in differentiation of fibrocartilage in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture. Furthermore, the histological examination of cats revealed no other signs of degeneration in the cranial cruciate ligaments. Thus, degeneration is likely not an aetiological factor of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in cats