title: Detection of meniscal tears by arthroscopy and arthrotomy in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture: a retrospective, cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate and compare detection of meniscal tears associated with cranial cruciate ligament insufficiency by either arthroscopy or arthrotomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, cohort study was completed with stifles (n = 531) of dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture. Either a medial parapatellar arthrotomy or an arthroscopy procedure was performed and groups were compared for significant differences in meniscal tears detected using logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Arthroscopy was performed on 58.8% and arthrotomy on 41.2% of the stifles. In total, 44.4% of the examined stifles had meniscal tears. Meniscal tears were found in 38.8% of the stifles examined by arthrotomy, and 48.4% of those examined by arthroscopy. Overall, the rate of detection of a meniscal tear was significantly different (p = 0.019) between the groups, and meniscal tears were observed more frequently by arthroscopy than by arthrotomy (odds ratio 1.54; 95% confidence interval 1.07 - 2.22).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that arthroscopy may be more sensitive than arthrotomy for detection of meniscal pathology in clinical patients. However, these results must be interpreted with caution since this was a retrospective study. Randomized prospective clinical studies are required to further test this hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Plesman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campbell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D059549:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000662:veterinary*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery; D004283:Dog Diseases; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012421:Rupture