Johnson et al: Outcome of cranial cruciate ligament replacement with an enhanced polyethylene terephthalate implant in the dog: A pilot clinical trial
Veterinary Surgery 8, 2022

🔍 Key Findings

• Only 2 of 10 PET implants were fully intact and functional at 6 months post-op.
• Owner-reported function (LOAD scores) improved by 51.7% (p = .008) over 6 months.
• Gait asymmetry improved by 86% (p = .002) postoperatively.
• Implant failure occurred in the midbody of the PET device, suggesting fatigue as a failure mechanism.
• One dog (10%) developed implant infection, necessitating implant removal.
• Implant fixation method (screws + washers + interference screw) was mechanically adequate and technically simple.
• Partially intact implants (4/10) still showed improved clinical outcomes, despite structural compromise.
• Midbody tearing and lack of long-term integrity prohibit continued use of this PET implant in CCL repair.