How does cruciate ligament rupture treatment affect range of motion in dogs?

This study aimed at evaluating the changes in passive range of motion (ROM) of the stifle joint associated with cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture in dogs and assessing whether the surgical treatment carried out on the affected joints affected additional changes. A retrospective cohort study design was used. The clinical records of dogs treated with tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA), tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) and tight rope (TR) were reviewed as were the extension angle (EA), flexion angle (FA) and lameness. The data recorded at T0, before surgery, were compared with the data at 1 month and 6 months post-surgery. The data were classified as normal or abnormal.

The main results obtained one month after surgery indicated that dogs treated with TTA showed a significant worsening of flexion (the FA was abnormal in 69.6 % of dogs at T0 and 80.4 % at T1 with p = 0.0208). Dogs treated with TPLO achieved asignificant improvement in extension (the EA was normal in 16.7 % of dogs at T0 and in 33.3 % at T1 with p < 0.0001), and in flexion (the FA was normal in 23.8 % of dogs at T0 and 43.5 % at T6 with p = 0.0434). The dogs treated with TR showed a significant worsening of extension (the EA was abnormal in 68.8 % of dogs at T0 and in 81.3 % at T1 with p = 0.0024). Six months post-surgery, the ROM value was not normal in 100 % of the stifle joints; however, the lameness significantly improved with each procedure. This study confirmed the influence of surgical procedures on changes in ROM and provided useful indications for planning therapy to improve and speed up the postoperative rehabilitation process in dogs.