The Role of Tibial Plateau Angle in Canine Cruciate Ligament Rupture-A Review of the Literature.

Cranial cruciate ligament disease is a common pathological condition in dogs that is often presented in daily clinical practice. Different risk factors for the development of this condition include breed, sex, age, bodyweight and neuter status, as well as different biological and biomechanical mechanisms. In the literature, special attention has been paid to the role of the tibial plateau angle in damage to the cranial cruciate ligament. Although the disease was first described at the beginning of last century, and since then different surgical methods have been developed to treat it, its aetiology remains unclear. In this review, contemporary literature data related to the role of tibial plateau angle in canine cranial cruciate ligament rupture are presented.

Spatial Subchondral Bone Density Reflecting Joint Loading of the Talus in Different Canidae.

OBJECTIVE: Subchondral bone density distribution can be used to study joint biomechanics non-invasively. Differences in joint loading between related species can aid in the understanding of joint loading and the development of certain types of orthopaedic pathology. This study was conducted to evaluate density distribution in the subchondral bone of the talus of different Canidae species, as a parameter reflecting the long-term joint loading in the tarsocrural joint. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The tarsal joints of cadaveric dogs of different breeds were included, that is, German Shepherd (n = 5), Bouvier des Flandres (n = 3) and Labrador Retriever (n = 6).Additionally, golden jackals (n = 5) (Canis aureus) and wolves (n = 5) (Canis lupus) were included. Consecutive computed tomography slices were made and the subchondral bone density distribution was evaluated using computer tomographic osteoabsorptiometry. Different breeds and species were visually compared. RESULTS: Differences were found in the subchondral bone density distribution of the talus between breeds and between species (Canis familiaris, Canis lupus and Canis aureus). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Based on the density distribution, there are differences in loading conditions of the tarsocrural joint in different species of Canidae. The joint loading distribution is very similar between dogs of the same breed and within the same species. Although between-breed differences can be explained by conformational differences, the between-species differences remain subject to further research.