National Taiwan University Animal Teaching Hospital
Intraarticular stabilization treatment has long been advocated in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament deficiency (CCLD), but has fallen out of favor due to its inferior long-term functional outcomes. This may result from its poor stiffness and strength in the early period before the completion of ligamentization. The study aimed to evaluate the 3D kinematics of the CCLD stifle in dogs in response to the intracapsular reconstruction (ICR) and combined extra and intra-articular reconstruction (CEIAR). Five hindlimbs were collected from 3 cadavers of mature dogs. The limbs were tested on a custom-made testing apparatus that reproduces their sagittal plane kinematics during stance phase (SP). Four statuses of stifle joints were tested, namely, (a) intact; (b) CCLD; (c) CCLD stifle stabilized by CEIAR, and (d) CCLD stifle stabilized with ICR only. Three-dimensional stifle kinematics at the 5 instants of the SP were measured with an optoelectronic system. The result showed that ICR marginally corrects the increased adduction, internal rotation, and the caudal stifle joint center displacement as a result of the CCLD. With CEIAR stabilization, stifle stability was better restored at the 5 instants of SP, where no significant kinematics differences were found when compared with the intact stifle joint. It appeared that the additional lateral fabellotibial suture (LFS) provides immediate stability to diminish over-elongation of the graft, which may be beneficial to the reduced failure of the graft.
