Cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR) is one of the most common orthopedic conditions in dogs. Various surgical techniques have been described for treating this condition, and Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) is one of the most widely perfo...
Cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR) is one of the most common orthopedic conditions in dogs. Various surgical techniques have been described for treating this condition, and Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) is one of the most widely performed procedures. TPLO involves a radial osteotomy of the proximal tibia to rotate the tibial plateau, neutralizing the cranial tibial thrust, and precise preoperative planning and execution are associated with maximizing outcomes. Inaccurate osteotomy and orientation of the osteotomy can lead to complications such as malalignment, inaccurate leveling, Therefore, precise osteotomy is crucial in increasing the success rate of TPLO and reducing the risk of complications. However, performing an accurate osteotomy can be challenging due to the
morphological characteristics of the tibia. performing an accurate osteotomy can be challenging due to the morphological characteristics of the tibia. Therefore, this study was designed to address the limitations of existing assistive devices for osteotomy by creating a universal saw guide, and to compare its accuracy
with that of traditional surgical methods when used. In this study, TPLO was performed on both 20 3D-printed bone models and 10 cadaver models, dividing the groups into those using a universal saw guide without a jig and those using traditional TPLO with a jig. In the bone models, evaluations were conducted on the inclination of the osteotomy, torsion of the osteotomy, iatrogenic medial cortical damage, and the comparison between intended and actual osteotomy centers. In the cadaver models, assessments included the inclination of the osteotomy, torsion of the osteotomy, postoperative tibial plateau angles, the comparison between intended and actual osteotomy centers, deviations in angular deformities, and the time taken for device applicating and osteotomy. In the bone models, the inclination of the osteotomy, torsion of the osteotomy, iatrogenic medial cortical damage, were more accurately performed in the universal saw guide group. In the cadaver studies, it was also confirmed that the inclination of the osteotomy, torsion of the osteotomy was more accurately performed in the universal saw guide group. In this study, using the universal saw guide during TPLO performed more anatomically accurate inclination of the osteotomy, torsion of the osteotomy, iatrogenic medial cortical damage compared to the traditional TPLO with a jig. Consequently, it was confirmed that using the universal saw guide results in more accurate osteotomy compared to traditional TPLO with a jig, thereby reducing various complications that can arise from inaccurate osteotomy.