OBJECTIVE To radiographically evaluate and compare changes in the patellar ligament of dogs following tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) and tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA). DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 106 dogs that underwent TPLO (n = 59) or TTA (n = 47) for unilateral rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament at a private veterinary hospital from August 2009 through September 2012. PROCEDURES Medical records were reviewed to collect information on dog signalment, surgical procedure, whether arthrotomy had been performed, pre- and postoperative measurements of patellar ligament angle (PLA) and tibial plateau angle (TPA), and preoperative and follow-up measurements of patellar ligament thickness. RESULTS For dogs that underwent TTA, thickening of the distal portion of the patellar ligament was identified radiographically in 43 (92%) dogs at the first follow-up examination and 36 (77%) at the second follow-up examination. For dogs that underwent TPLO, these numbers were 57 (97%) and 54 (92%), respectively. A significant decrease in patellar ligament thickness was identified between the first and second follow-up examinations for TTA but not TPLO. Mean ± SD PLA following TTA was 89.46 ± 5.54°, representing a mean difference from the preoperative PLA of 11.86 ± 5.3°; following TPLO, mean TPA was 12.61 ± 4.03°, representing a mean difference from the preoperative TPA of 16.74 ± 7.13°. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Patellar ligament thickening occurred following TPLO and TTA in dogs. The clinical relevance of this thickening remains unknown.

Locking 7-hole TPO plates with 3-5 locking screws resulted in a lower rate of major and minor implant associated complications than the reported complication rate for conventional 6-hole plates. En bloc pullout of the caudal aspect of the plate is an infrequent but repeatable complication associated with the locking TPO implant.

Objective: To determine the discrepancy between true distance of tibial tuberosity advancement (tTTA) and the most commonly used cages. The null hypothesis was that tTTA would be within 1.5 mm difference of the cage size. Study design: Ex vivo study. Sample population: Eight foam cortical shell specimens modeled from canine tibias. Methods: Modified tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) was performed to allow repeated measurement of the tTTA. The Pearson correlation test was used to evaluate the relationships of tTTA and cage sizes (P < .05). The difference between tTTA and cage size was calculated to establish the degree of underadvancement during the TTA. Results: Two hundred forty tTTA measurements were recorded. The tTTA was less than each corresponding cage size (P < .001). Four cage sizes resulted in a difference greater than 1.5 mm (P < .001-.04). The 6-mm cage resulted in median tTTA of 4.3 mm, which did not differ significantly from 4.5 mm (range, 3.2-6.65). The median underadvancement ranged from 1.7 to 2.5 mm for the tested cage sizes. The percentage underadvancement ranged from 21% to 28% for the tested cage sizes. Conclusion: The tTTA was less than the corresponding cage sizes by at least 1.5 mm in all except the 6-mm cage. Clinical significance: Selection of a larger cage size during the TTA may be advantageous to compensate for underadvancement and to minimize the risk of residual cranial tibial translation.

To the authors' knowledge, closed-mouth jaw locking in animals attributable to dynamic interference of the rostrodorsal aspect of the coronoid process of a mandibular ramus with the medial surface of the frontal process of a zygomatic bone or an orbital ligament has not been described. Surgical excision of the coronoid process of the mandibular ramus appeared to provide a successful outcome in the dog of this report.

SummaryA retrospective case series study was done to determine the long-term outcome of operations upon dogs treated for canine hip dysplasia by means of a triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO). Twentyfour dogs with bilateral hip dysplasia, that received a unilateral TPO between January 1988 and June 1995, were re-examined at the Ontario Veterinary College. The assessment included physical, orthopedic and lameness examinations, standard blood work, pelvic radiographs and force plate gait analysis. They were compared to bilaterally dysplastic dogs that had not been treated, and also to normal dogs. Force plate data analysis demonstrated a significant increase in peak vertical force (PVF) and mean vertical force over stance (MVF) in the limb that underwent surgical correction by means of a TPO, when compared to the unoperated hip. It was determined that performing a unilateral TPO on a young dysplastic dog resulted in greater forces and weight bearing being projected through the TPO corrected limb when compared to the unoperated limb.Dogs with bilateral hip dysplasia treated with a unilateral triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO) were assessed by force plate gait analysis, radiographs and orthopedic examination. There was a significant increase in hip Norberg angles over time, although degenerative changes did progress. Limbs that had been operated upon had significantly greater peak and mean ground reaction forces than limbs that had not received an operation.