Orthosis in the Conservative Treatment of Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture in Dogs – Clinical Observations

Orthoses are increasingly frequently applied orthopedic devices in veterinary medicine. Injury to the knee joint with a rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament is one of the main indications for the use of orthoses in dogs. This study aimed to present the results of treatment of 30 dogs with injured cranial cruciate ligaments using a knee orthosis and describe the reasons for the conservative treatment of cranial cruciate ligament deficiency. The study was conducted between 2017 and 2019 and involved 30 dogs of various breeds aged 7 to 15, weighing from 2.5 kg to 45 kg, diagnosed with cranial cruciate ligament rupture. In the study, a stifle knee orthosis by the Polish manufacturer Admirał (Pl) was used in 29 dogs and, in one case, an orthosis by Balto (USA) was applied. In each case, the orthosis was selected individually, based on the measurements taken. In the twelfth week of treatment using orthoses, the owners of 25 dogs were satisfied with the results of conservative treatment with the application of orthoses. The caretakers of four dogs observed difficulties in the form of slight lameness at rest after prolonged exertion on the previous day. Running difficulty was observed in one dog. In the conducted study, the knee orthosis demonstrated good therapeutic effects in dogs up to 25 kg. In the majority of dogs, a slight increase in the flexion angle of the treated knee joints was observed, X-ray examinations did not show the degenerative disease progress during the studied period.