Comparison of an intra-articular suture technique and a lateral suture technique in toy breed dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture

Abstract

Cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR) can result in inflammation, pain, lameness and osteoarthritis. Because there is no isometric point for surgical stabilization for CCLR, the anatomical replacement of the ruptured cranial cruciate ligament with synthetic material may provide better outcomes. This retrospective study compared short-term post-operative outcomes between an intra-articular suture technique and a lateral suture technique for treating CCLR in toy breed dogs. Twenty dogs with unilateral CCLR were divided into two groups. The lateral suture technique was a lateral circumfabellar tibial suture with monofilament nylon and the intra-articular suture was performed by passing a suture through the femoral condyle tunnel and the tibial tunnel to stabilize the knee joint with non-absorbable braided polyester fiber. All dogs were assessed for lameness using an adapted five-point lameness scoring system at 0, 7, 30 and 60 days after surgery. Pre-operative lameness scores were comparable between the intra-articular suture and the lateral suture techniques (3.3±0.7 vs. 3.5±0.5, p>0.05). The post-operative lameness scores of dogs with the intra-articular suture were significantly lower than the scores of dogs with the lateral suture at day 7 (1.6±0.5 vs. 2.4±0.7, p<0.05) and day 30 (0.3±0.5 vs. 1.2±1.3, p<0.05). Nonetheless, there was no significant difference in the post-operative lameness scores of dogs in the two groups at day 60 (0.1±0.3 vs. 0.3±0.5, p>0.05). This study suggests that an intra-articular technique may provide a faster return to limb function than a lateral suture technique in toy breed dogs affected by CCLR.