Long term follow-up of TPLO surgery

Abstract

The aim of this thesis was to examine the long-term results of tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) in dogs operated at the Small Animal Clinic of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Budapest. This was accomplished by sending questionnaires via email to the owners of dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture who were operated on with this procedure from 2017 to 2020, as well as collecting their clinical data from the clinic’s database. Two questionnaires, the “Canine Brief Pain Inventory” and “Canine Orthopaedic Index”, were sent to eighteen owners, six of whom filled them out and returned them for statistical analysis. The results showed that most owners consider the surgery to have been successful with normal (33.3%) or near-normal (50%) stifle function, and minimal (33.3%) or no pain (50%). Only a minority (16.7%) of the owners reported a suboptimal joint function, with associated pain and interference with the dog’s general activity. In conclusion, the majority of dogs who underwent TPLO at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Budapest have a satisfactory outcome over 3 years after surgery.