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.
(© Copyright 2014 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.)