310 Surgical Treatment
continued synovitis is also a likely contributor
to postoperative OA progression.
Comparison of osteoarthritis progression
between stabilization methods
Currently, few studies have been reported in
the veterinary literature that have compared
progression of OA between various stabiliza-
tion methods with a strict follow-up timeframe.
Most studies have highly variable ranges from
the time of surgery to follow-up. Cooket al.
(2010) reported OA progression at 6 months
after TPLO surgery and the TightRope extra-
capsular technique, noting that while OA
progressed with both methods, the progression
was not significantly different between stabi-
lization methods or between time of surgery
and the 6-month recheck. Lazaret al. (2005)
also evaluated OA progression between TPLO
and an extracapsular stabilization technique,
with follow-up within 1 year of surgery. OA
progression was noted with both stabilization
methods, although dogs with a more severe OA
progression were more likely to have under-
gone an extracapsular stabilization method
rather than a TPLO.
Conclusions
Over the past few years, strong evidence
regarding the relationship between OA and
development of stifle instability in the stifle
joint of dogs has indicated that development of
radiographic OA precedes clinically detectable
joint instability from CR. This suggests that OA
is not only a result of stifle instability and altered
contact mechanics, but is also related to the
joint inflammation that contributes to cruciate
ligament fiber rupture and matrix degenera-
tion. Stabilization procedures are not disease-
modifying, as these procedures do not directly
address the inflammatory environment within
CR stifle joints. Stifle synovitis should be con-
sidered a contributing factor in OA progression
over time, and a focus of future research.
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