Arthroscopic study of the shoulder and knee joint in the dog

Author(s)

Angelica Cecilia Tatarunas

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ/SBD)
• Defense date: 2004-08-06

Examining board members

Julia Maria Matera; Maria Lucia Zaidan Dagli; Masao Iwasaki; Flávia de Santis Prada; Antonio Felipe Paulino de Figueiredo Wouk

• Advisor: Julia Maria Matera

Abstract

The aim of this approach is shoulder and knee arthroscopic study in the dog. During the arthroscopic exam it was analyzed the possibility to see the structures into the joint; facilities and difficulties concerning the technique and its complications. Cytological synovial fluid and histopathological synovial membrane studies of the knee joint were performed. The arthroscopy was carried out in ten shoulder joints (nine dogs) which had osteochondritis dissecans and in fifty-three knee joints (fifty dogs), which had complete or partial cranial cruciate ligament rupture associated or not with medial or lateral meniscal damage and medial patella luxation. In the shoulder joint the complications consisted of the difficulty in doing the arthroscopic and instrumental portal using the triangulation technique, iatrogenic lesion, premature removal of the arthroscopy and periarticular infiltration. The observed structures were intertubercular groo, supraglenoid tubercle, tendon of biceps brachii muscle, cartilage of the humeral head (cranial and caudal) and glenoid cavity, medial glenohumeral ligament, caudomedial gutter and synovium. The lesions of the articular cartilage observed during the exam in the shoulder joint were chondromalacia, erosion, eburnation, fibrillation in the humeral head and erosion of the glenoidal cavity besides joint mice (near the defect on the humeral head, on the caudomedial gutter, near the tendon of biceps brachii muscle and in the medial gutter) and flap in the caudomedial humeral head. In one animal the flap was removed by arthroscopy while in the others it was removed by arthrotomy. During the arthroscopic exam of the knee joint it was remarked suprapatellar joint pouch, patella, trochlea, lateral and medial femoral condyle, lateral and medial tibial condyle, lateral and medial meniscus, tendon of long digital extensor muscle, cranial and caudal cruciate ligament, intermeniscal ligament and synovium. The main complications consisted of periarticular infiltration and obstruction of the field of vision by the infrapatellar fat pad. The differences between the diagnostic after arthroscopy and confirmation by arthrotomy were the differentiation between complete and partial rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament (n=3) and meniscal lesion (n=6). The arthroscopy exam provides information about lateral meniscal and caudal cruciate ligament lesion which are not noticeable by arthrotomy. The cytological study showed no-inflammatory process in most of the joints. In the histopathological analysis the results were chronic and acute inflammatory process and one joint having plasmacytic lymphocytic synovitis. The arthroscopy is an endoscopic technique that requires continuous training to be achieved and gives a detailed exam with significant information which could help to explain a lot of diseases in joints of the canine species. (AU)