Two-hole extracapsular technique for the repair of canine cranial cruciate ligament rupture in thirty-eight dogs

Extracapsular technique with lateral fabellar suture (LFS) is one of the commonest surgical techniques for canine cranial cruciate ligament (CRCL) rupture. Among LFS methods, parallel double holes in the tibia are the most effective for the repair of canine stifle joint. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two-hole LFS for canine CRCL rupture. We retrospectively evaluated the outcome of canine CRCL rupture treated with two-hole LFS technique performed by two surgeons from October 2011 to September 2013. Breeds included Beagle (n=5), Yorkshire terrier (n=5), German shepherd (n=4), and so on. Mean body weight was 14.0±11.6 kg (>10 kg: n=16, <10 kg: n=22). Body condition score (5 scales) was as follows: 1 (n=0), 2 (n=1), 3 (n=18), 4 (n=18), and 5 (n=1). There were 18 males [neutered (n=11)] and 20 females [spayed (n=12)]. Mean age was 83.4±44.8 months (>12 months: n=35, <12 months: n=3). The type of rupture was partial (n=17) and complete (n=21). The affected site was right (n=20), left (n=18), and bilateral (n=4). Rehabilitation after operation was needed in 8 cases. There were 12 cases of previous medial patellar luxation operation, and 6 cases of opposite site CRCL surgery. Start of weight bearing and resolution of extension function was on day 1 (n=30), day 2 (n=0), and after day 2 (n=8). There was no evidence of surgical site infection/inflammation in any cases. The results of this study showed that two-hole LFS is an easy and effective technique for the repair of canine CRCL.