Incidence and type of meniscal injury and associated long-term clinical outcomes in dogs treated surgically for cranial cruciate ligament disease.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate factors related to meniscal pathology and their effect on clinical outcome in dogs treated for cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) disease.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective cross-sectional study.

ANIMALS

Dogs (n = 163) with CCL disease (n = 223 stifles).

METHODS

CCL disease was treated by (1) arthroscopy and TightRope (TR) stabilization; (2) arthroscopy and tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO); or (3) open arthrotomy and TPLO. Incidences of concurrent and subsequent meniscal tears, meniscal treatments, mid-(6 months) and long-(>1 year) term outcomes by owner assessment were compared among surgical treatment groups.

RESULTS

Concurrent meniscal tears were diagnosed in 83% of stifles assessed by arthroscopy and 44% of stifles assessed by arthrotomy, with concurrent tear diagnosis being 1.9 times more likely by arthroscopy than arthrotomy (P < .001). Incidence of diagnosis of subsequent meniscal tears was 6.7% with median time to diagnosis of 5.8 months. Differences in proportion of subsequent meniscal tears among treatment groups were not significant (P = .69). Subsequent meniscal tears were diagnosed in 21% of cases without concurrent meniscal tears, but only 1.3% of cases with concurrent meniscal tears (P < .001). Cases treated with meniscal release did not have subsequent meniscal tears, whereas dogs not treated with meniscal release had a subsequent meniscal tear rate of 11% (P = .0013). Cases diagnosed and treated for concurrent meniscal tears were 1.3 times more likely to have a successful long-term outcome (P = .007).

CONCLUSIONS

CCL surgical technique did not affect subsequent meniscal tear rate or mid-term or long-term functional outcomes, whereas diagnosis and treatment of concurrent meniscal tears did significantly affect both.