Evaluation of Osteotomy Healing in Boxer Dogs Undergoing Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy Using Two Radiographic...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Orthopedics
• Surgical Outcomes Research
• Comparative Canine Anatomy

Background:

• Tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO) is a common procedure for canine cruciate ligament disease.
• Assessing bone healing post-TPLO is crucial for predicting functional recovery.
• Breed-specific healing characteristics and objective scoring methods require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of 5-point and 10-point radiographic scoring systems for evaluating bone healing after TPLO.
• To determine if Boxer dogs exhibit different osteotomy healing times compared to age-matched Labrador Retrievers.

Main Methods:

• Multicentre retrospective study involving 58 client-owned dogs (29 Boxers, 29 Labrador Retrievers) that underwent TPLO.
• Radiographs taken approximately 8 weeks postoperatively were evaluated by five board-certified surgeons using 5-point and 10-point scoring systems.
• Initial postoperative radiographs were assessed for the presence of an osteotomy gap (≥1 mm).

Main Results:

• Both 5-point and 10-point scoring systems demonstrated good inter- and intraobserver consistency.
• Boxer dogs exhibited significantly lower radiographic bone healing scores at 8 weeks post-TPLO compared to Labrador Retrievers (p ≤ 0.001).
• The presence of a postoperative osteotomy gap (≥1 mm) was significantly associated with lower healing scores in both breeds (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• No significant difference in observer variability was found between the 5-point and 10-point scoring systems.
• Boxer dogs demonstrate slower radiographic bone healing at 8 weeks after TPLO compared to Labrador Retrievers.
• A postoperative osteotomy gap of ≥1 mm is a negative prognostic indicator for bone healing after TPLO.