🔍 Key Findings

Synovitis was present in 100% of canine stifles with CCL disease (n = 163).

The most frequent severity score was 3/5 (55.2%), followed by 4/5 (24.5%).

Higher synovitis scores were significantly associated with:

• Higher median cartilage scores (p = .042, OR = 2.1 per unit increase)
• Longer duration of clinical signs (p < .001, OR = 1.27 per month)

Bodyweight (p = .083) and sex (p = .17) were not statistically significant in multivariable analysis.

Bucket handle meniscal tears were not associated with synovitis severity.

Clinical implication: Earlier intervention may help reduce synovitis and slow OA progression.

🔍 Key Findings Summary

• 16 dogs (18 stifles) with CrCL rupture and TPA >34° were treated using the DCTPLO
• Mean TPA correction: from 39.4° to 6.3°
• Bone union at 60 days in 17/18 stifles; remaining healed by 90 days
• Minor complications (e.g., small wedge gaps) in 2/18 stifles — no major complications
• Patellar ligament thickening seen in 16/18 stifles but no clinical signs noted
• The technique enabled safer reduction with less risk of tibial crest fracture vs. conventional TPLO

🔍 Key Findings

• AMA-based CCWO realigned the anatomical and mechanical axes in 82% of dogs >50 kg, with postoperative AMA angle of 0° in most cases.
• Surgical site infection (SSI) rate was only 0.5%, markedly lower than TPLO-reported rates in similar populations (up to 37.5%).
• All osteotomies achieved Grade 4 healing by 8 weeks, with no implant failures.
• AMA-based planning based on preoperative AMA and TPA allowed for better correction of proximal tibial angulation compared to TPLO in large dogs.
• Use of a double locking plate (DLP) fixation and Robert Jones bandage (RJB) contributed to improved mechanical stability and infection prevention.
• Dogs with AMA angle >3.4° (hyper-CCAPT) were 38% of the cohort, supporting AMA as a critical metric in planning.
• Postoperative alignment of the AA and MA was more consistently achieved when preoperative AMA was >2.4°, confirming suitability of AMA-based CCWO for severe angulation.
• Most infections in TPLOs occur within 15 days, but RJB plus antibiotics in this study appeared protective, suggesting benefit for early-phase SSI prevention.

🔍 Key Findings Summary

• Study Design: Prospective case series of 52 scans from 44 dogs with CCL injury.
• Main Technique: 16-slice CTA; evaluated by 3 observers with varying experience; validated against surgical mini-medial arthrotomy findings.
• Diagnostic Metrics (Reading 2):
  • Sensitivity: 1.00 (Observers 1 & 2), 0.93 (Observer 3)
  • Specificity: 0.78–0.91
  • Positive Likelihood Ratio: Up to 10.71
  • Negative Likelihood Ratio: As low as 0.08
  • Accuracy: 90%+ for all in Reading 2
• Observer Effect: Significant improvement between first and second reading for less experienced observers (p < 0.05); learning curve evident.
• Meniscal lesions found:
  • 9/12 in suspected late meniscal injury cases
  • 19/40 in newly diagnosed CCL cases
  • Most common = bucket handle tears
• Conclusion: Multidetector CTA is a clinically useful, non-invasive tool for identifying medial meniscal lesions in dogs with CCL disease.

🔍 Key Findings

• Proximal Tibia Metatarsal Angle (PTMTA) was significantly increased in dogs with grade 3 and 4 MPL, making it a useful marker for severity.
• PTMTA strongly correlated with Tibial Torsion Angle (TTA) (r = 0.733) and Crural Rotation Angle (CRA) (r = 0.643), integrating multiple morphological deformities.
• Grade 4 MPL cases showed significant internal tibial torsion, increased mMPTA, and decreased MDTT/PTW—indicating both rotation and medial displacement.
• DTMTA was significantly more negative in grade 4, indicating a consistent pattern of internal foot rotation with disease severity.
• PTMTA can be visually assessed during palpation, offering preoperative utility without CT.
• Among toy poodles, PTMTA showed significant differences even between grades 3 and normal, suggesting breed-specific severity patterns.
• Corrective osteotomy may need to address tibial as well as femoral deformities in severe MPL cases with high PTMTA.
• Younger dogs with grade 4 MPL had more severe deformities, possibly due to early onset or developmental progression.

🔍 Key Findings

• Arthroscopic meniscal suturing was performed in 43 client-owned dogs, involving 44 meniscal repairs (one dog was bilateral). All injuries involved the caudal horn of the medial meniscus and were associated with cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) disease.
• All dogs underwent simultaneous TPLO, with some also receiving an internal brace (IB). Most repairs used simple vertical mattress sutures.
• The overall complication rate was 34.1% (15/44). Most complications were attributed to the TPLO/TPLO+IB and did not compromise the meniscal repair outcome.
• No median time to “acceptable” or “full” function was reported, but most dogs showed improvement in lameness and LOAD scores (p < .001), indicating good to excellent outcomes.
• Meniscal repair success rate was 88% (38/44), with TPLO + IB outperforming TPLO-only (93.3% vs 71.4%). Follow-up was performed at 8 weeks (40 dogs) and 6 months (16 dogs).
• Six failures occurred, all managed with arthroscopic meniscectomy, leading to normal activity in those dogs. Two IB-associated failures led to CrCL instability.
• The authors concluded the technique was safe, practical, and effective, with a reasonable complication rate.
• The findings support arthroscopic suturing as a feasible alternative to meniscectomy or meniscal release, offering long-term benefits for preserving the meniscus.

🔍 Key Findings

Sample: 21 cats (10 control, 11 affected); 14 normal limbs vs 18 with MPL (MPL II: 7, MPL III: 11).

Significantly different CT measurements in MPL vs control:

• aLDFA: MPL II > control and MPL III (p = 0.014)
• FTW: MPL III > control (p = 0.021)
• FTD: control > MPL II and III (p < 0.001)
• TTA: MPL II and III had increased external tibial torsion vs control (p < 0.001)
• fPL and PV: MPL III cats had longer and more voluminous patellae

No significant differences in AA, mMPTA, TTD, fPW, aPH.
Patella width exceeded trochlear width in all groups.
Authors suggest femoral and tibial angular correction may not be indicated in most feline MPL II–III cases.
Soft tissue techniques and trochleoplasty warrant further investigation.
CT method: Intraobserver ICC good in 64%, interobserver poor in 36% of metrics.

🔍 Key Findings

• Proximal Tibia Metatarsal Angle (PTMTA) was significantly increased in dogs with grade 3 and 4 MPL, making it a useful marker for severity.
• PTMTA strongly correlated with Tibial Torsion Angle (TTA) (r = 0.733) and Crural Rotation Angle (CRA) (r = 0.643), integrating multiple morphological deformities.
• Grade 4 MPL cases showed significant internal tibial torsion, increased mMPTA, and decreased MDTT/PTW—indicating both rotation and medial displacement.
• DTMTA was significantly more negative in grade 4, indicating a consistent pattern of internal foot rotation with disease severity.
• PTMTA can be visually assessed during palpation, offering preoperative utility without CT.
• Among toy poodles, PTMTA showed significant differences even between grades 3 and normal, suggesting breed-specific severity patterns.
• Corrective osteotomy may need to address tibial as well as femoral deformities in severe MPL cases with high PTMTA.
• Younger dogs with grade 4 MPL had more severe deformities, possibly due to early onset or developmental progression.

🔍 Key Findings

Study type: Cadaveric stifle arthroscopy in large breed dogs (n=12 joints from 6 dogs)
Goal: Describe and assess the proximal lateral portal for insertion of a Ventura stifle thrust lever (VSTL)
Main results:

• No damage to the long digital extensor tendon (LDE) with this portal
• VSTL could be placed without removing the arthroscope
• Portal creation time ~37 seconds (faster than previously reported)

Cartilage impact:

• Superficial iatrogenic articular cartilage injury (IACI) present in all specimens
• No difference in IACI between 5- and 10-minute lever durations
• Zone 4 (lateral femoral condyle) had significantly more damage than zones 1–3 (p < .05)

Conclusion: Portal was safe, repeatable, minimally invasive, and did not increase cartilage damage with up to 10-minute lever use

🔍 Key Findings

• Oxley's modified CCWO did not achieve the target TPA of 5° in most cases, even with planning.
• Mean planned TPA was 7.6°, higher than target, and consistent across dog sizes.
• Postoperative TPAs were significantly higher in small dogs (median 7°) than in large dogs (median 4.5°).
• Distalization >7.5 mm of the osteotomy from the patellar tendon led to increased under-correction of TPA.
• Only dogs with preoperative TPA >35° achieved post-planning TPAs close to the 5° target.
• Postoperative osteotomy positions were generally more distal than recommended (8.6 mm median).
• Virtual plate fit was appropriate for all dogs at 5 mm or 7.5 mm positions, suggesting no need for excessive distalization.
• Excessive correction leading to negative TPAs occurred in some cases, risking caudal cruciate ligament strain.