Rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament associated with deformity of the proximal tibia in five dogs

Abstract

Excessive mechanical stress due to caudal sloping of the tibial plateau may result in early breakdown of the cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL). Five dogs with CrCL rupture associated with caudal sloping of the proximal tibial plateau are described. All were small dogs, of between three and six years of age, with a mean bodyweight of 9.3 kg, which had acute hindlimb lameness. Radiographic examination revealed cranial displacement of the tibia, with a tibial angle varying from 58 to 60 degrees. All cases were treated with a lateral fabellotibial suture and cranial cuneiform osteotomy of the proximal tibia. All dogs were using the operated limb three days after surgery, with normal gait re-established after a mean period of 10 days. Excessive tibial plateau sloping is not a frequent cause of hindlimb lameness in small animals, although it is important to consider it as a predisposing factor for rupture of the CrCL.

Geometry of the femoral condyles in dogs

“…From the geometrical point of view, a more protrusive geometrical shape results in a smaller contact area and a greater pressure on the underlying surface. Additionally, the femoral condyles move caudally in relation to the tibial plateau during the flexion of the stifle joint (Selmi and Filho 2001). Therefore, the meniscus and articular cartilage of the caudal part of the medial side suggest the possibility of a risk of injury as the stifle flexes.…”

“…For this reason, the geometry of proximal tibia has been studied in detail (Selmi and Filho 2001;Baroni et al 2003;Reif and Probst 2003;Reif et al 2004;Osmond et al 2006;Dismukes et al 2007 andBuote et al 2009). However, there is limited data on the geometry of the distal femur focusing on the intercondylar fossa Montgomery et al 1995;Comerford et al 2006;Sellmeyer et al 2007;Lewis et al 2008).…”

Outcome of Tibial Closing Wedge Osteotomy in 55 Cranial Cruciate Ligament‐Deficient Stifles of Small Dogs (<15 kg)

“…Studies show a proportion of dogs with CrCL‐deficient stifles have a TPA >34°, considered an excessive TPA . Excessive TPA frequently is seen in terrier breeds due to the association of deformity of the proximal tibia and secondary caudal tibial bowing . Reducing the TPA decreases stress on the CrCL, although reducing the TPA beyond 5 degrees increases the load on the caudal cruciate ligament …”

Effect of anatomic variation in caudal tibial plateau on the tibial plateau angle in dogs: a cadaveric study

“…The tibial plateau angle (TPA), which expresses the degree of tibial plateau slope, affects cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) rupture and is an important parameter in the planning of tibial osteotomy in dogs (Morris & Lipowitz , Selmi & Filho , Macias et al . , Wilke et al .…”