34th Annual Scientific Meeting proceedings

Objectives:

This ongoing study records the reduction in tension, measured during progressive stages of trial and permanent reduction during canine total hip replacement (THR) surgery, along with additional soft tissue tension gained by deep gluteal tenotomy repair.

Methods:

Twelve dogs undergoing uncemented THR were included (20-67 kg body weight). Using a digital gauge, tension needed for hip reduction, to initiate subluxation (shuck test, average of three measurements) and to induce luxation was measured. Measures were repeated for subsequent length heads, until tension was deemed adequate and again after permanent head application (Final shuck value, FSV). The deep gluteal tendon (DGT) was repaired using a baseball suture and shuck test measured (DSV). A wilcoxon-rank sum test compared FSV and DSV, and a linear model was used to assess the relationship between continuous variables, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Results:

No complications were recorded on physical and radiographic exam at one, three and six-month follow-up. Median DSV was 11.29 kg (range 10.0 - 16.33) while median FSV was 9.37 kg (range 6.2-13.9 kg). This difference of 1.925 kg was found to be significant (p= 0.02). A DSV/body weight ratio of 36 % (23-54 %) [JH1] led to no complications in this series and no significant association was noted between body weight and DSV (P = 0.197) or FSV (P = 0.066) with current sample numbers.

 

Conclusions:

DGT repair using a baseball pattern increases reduction tension significantly.  DGT shuck value of 23-54 % of body weight led to successful outcomes.