Comparison of Osteoarthritic Progression as well as Long-Term Clinical Outcome Using Objective Gait Analysis after Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture Comparing Two Different Surgical Techniques in the Feline Stifle Joint

Introduction: Cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR) is a less frequent orthopaedic injury in cats compared with dogs. Stabilization with lateral extracapsular suture (EC) is often performed. Other techniques such as the tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO) have been occasionally reported. The objective of this study was to compare the radiographic progression of osteoarthritis (OA) and objective force plate gait analysis (FPGA) between cats undergoing either repair with EC or a TPLO. We hypothesized that cats with TPLO have less OA progression and asymmetry during FPGA.

Materials and Methods: A medical record search from 2015 to 2024 for cats with CCLR was conducted. The cats were divided into two groups, EC and TPLO. Radiographic scoring of OA was performed for preoperative radiographs as well as follow-up radiographs. The cats were invited to the hospital for FPGA. The difference in OA and FPGA for the two groups was compared with a t-test or a Mann–Whitney U test depending on the distribution.

Results: At the time of writing 18 cats with TPLO and 8 cats with an EC were eligible for radiographic scoring. Four cats with EC and five cats with TPLO were available for FPGA. Radiographic progression of OA was significantly higher in the EC group for radiographs taken more than 1 year after surgery (p = 0.0131). Gait symmetry was significantly higher in cats with TPLO compared with EC (p = 0.0317) during FPGA.

Discussion/Conclusion: Our study suggests a better clinical outcome with a more symmetric gait and less radiographic OA progression for TPLO compared with EC.

Acknowledgment

A grant application with the Every Cat Health Foundation is pending.

 

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Publication History

Article published online:
15 July 2025