Stifle Joint Arthrodesis for Treating Chronic-Osteoarthritis-Affected Dogs

Abstract

A two-year-old male Pomeranian dog was presented to a veterinary hospital due to the side effects of a surgical correction for patellar luxation. Stifle joint arthrodesis (SJA) was performed on the patient’s right leg using autologous bone-grafting techniques. The right femur and tibial joint were angled 120–130°, and an SJA plate was fixed on the front of the two bones. After performing joint fusion of the right limb, medial-patellar-luxation-(MPL)-corrective surgery was performed to cut the tibial tuberosity on the left leg, and the fixing force was increased using the figure-of-eight-tension-band-wiring technique. Results were recorded regarding the dog’s ability to walk and trot in the right hind limb; these results were evaluated for 27 days after surgery. It was difficult for the patient to walk because weight-bearing had not been carried out for 3 days after the surgery; short strides and partial weight bearing were possible 5 to 7 days after surgery. After 10 days, the patient was able to move while bearing weight with a slight disruption. With regard to trotting, the patient showed intermittent normal steps 5 to 7 days after surgery, but the disruption continued. After 14 days, trotting was possible, and it was observed that movement could be maintained during everyday activities.

Knee Joint Osteoarthritis in Overweight Cats: The Clinical and Radiographic Findings

“…However, in the recent study, the authors did not consider non-specific symptoms, such as apathy, which seems to be the most common clinical symptom. Therefore, one may conclude that when the owner reports any unusual behavior of the cat, the veterinarian should take a detailed history driven to identify non-specific clinical symptoms of OA, especially as dogs suffering from knee joint OA most frequently show discomfort followed by other more specific clinical symptoms such as pain, limited joint range of motion, loss of muscle mass, reduced activity level, and lameness [53,67,68]. Similarly, in humans suffering from knee joint OA, joint pain and tenderness, short-term morning stiffness, and restricted movement may occur early in the disease.…”