Long-term outcome of tibial plateau leveling osteotomy using an antimicrobial silver-based coated plate in dogs.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate long-term outcome using the BioMedtrix™ TPLO Curve® plate in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament disease (CrCLd) treated by tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case study. ANIMALS: Dogs (n = 323, 337 stifles). METHODS: Medical records were searched for dogs presented with CrCLd and treated by TPLO with the BioMedtrix™ TPLO Curve® plate for 3.5 mm screws between March 2018 and December 2020. Tibial plateau angles (TPA) were measured on preoperative, postoperative, and follow-up radiographs. Changes in TPA between postoperative and follow-up radiographs (ModTPA) were calculated. Radiographic bone healing was scored. Complications were evaluated. Surgical site infections (SSI) were compared to a control group of dogs treated with the Synthes™ TPLO plate between January and December 2017. Owners of both groups were contacted by telephone at least 1 year postoperatively. RESULTS: The BioMedtrix™ group was composed of 237 dogs (248 stifles), the control group was composed of 86 dogs (89 stifles). In the BioMedtrix™ group, radiographic follow-up was performed at a median of 48 days. Average ModTPA was 1.2°. Bone healing was graded as complete, good, poor, and none in 18%, 62%, 20%, and 0%, respectively. At a median of 786 days postoperatively, minor and major postoperative complications were observed in 6 (2.4%) and 32 (12.9%) cases in this group, respectively. During the first year following the surgery, 23 (9.3%) and 12 (13.5%) cases suffered a SSI, of which 12 (4.8%) and 7 (7.9%) had their implant explanted in the BioMedtrix™ group and the control group, respectively. There was no significant difference between groups for SSI and implant explantations (p = 0.31 and p = 0.29, respectively). CONCLUSION: The BioMedtrix™ TPLO Curve® plate provided a reliable fixation system for osteotomy healing after TPLO. Bone healing and long-term complication rates were similar to previous studies using other implants. SSI rates were similar between the BioMedtrix™ group and the control group. The antimicrobial HyProtect® coating of the plate did not reduce SSI in this study. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The BioMedtrix™ TPLO Curve® plate can be safely used for TPLO. The value of the antimicrobial HyProtect® coating of the plate may be questioned, as SSI rate was not lower in this study compared to the control group or previous reports.

Intraobserver and interobserver reliability of computed tomography measurements of the soft palate in French bulldogs.

BACKGROUND: CT imaging has been used to document the soft palate dimensions in brachycephalic dogs but reliability of such measurements has not been evaluated. The aims of this study were to propose a method of measurements of the soft palate in French bulldogs and determine its reliability. METHODS: Thirty French bulldogs were prospectively included. Five measurements of the soft palate were performed on soft tissue and bone window mid-sagittal images: length, thickness at 25, 50 and 75 per cent of its length and sagittal plane cross-sectional area. Three sets of data were separately acquired by three observers. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability for all measurements was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: The median ICCs showed excellent reliability (0.90 to 0.99) for all intraobserver measurements except for thickness at 75 per cent which showed good (0.80 to 0.89) to excellent reliability. The median ICC showed excellent reliability for all interobserver measurements. CONCLUSION: The soft palate measurements on a single CT image are reproducible and repeatable. Further study is needed to assess the reliability of these measurements in the same patient with different endotracheal tube positions.