title: The effects of a novel lateral extracapsular suture system on the kinematics of the cranial cruciate deficient canine stifle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the relative position of the femur and tibia in cranial cruciate ligament-intact stifles, cranial cruciate ligament-deficient stifles, and cruciate-deficient stifles following lateral extracapsular suture system (LESS) stabilization under load at specific joint angles.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vitro biomechanical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty pelvic limbs from 11 dogs were used to evaluate the relative position of the femur and tibia between three stifle conditions (cranial cruciate ligament-intact, cranial cruciate ligament-deficient, and LESS-stabilized) at a load of 30% of body weight and stifle angles of 125°, 135°, and 145° using electromagnetic tracking sensors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cranial cruciate ligament-deficient stifles had significantly greater (p <0.0001) cranial displacement and internal rotation of the tibia relative to the femur than cranial cruciate ligament-intact or LESS stifles at all stifle angles. Cranial displacement of the tibia relative to the femur for cranial cruciate ligament-intact and LESS stifles were not significantly different from one another at a stifle angle of 125°, but were significantly different at stifle angles of 135° (p = 0.0182) and 145° (p = 0.0012). There was no significant difference in internal rotation of the tibia relative to the femur between the cranial cruciate ligament-intact and LESS stifles at any of the stifle angles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The LESS procedure effectively decreased cranial tibial displacement and eliminated internal rotation of the tibia relative to the femur in the cranial cruciate ligament-deficient stifles at stifle angles of 125°, 135°, and 145° in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. ldamico@vt.edu
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.forename: O I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Lanz
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Aulakh
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Werre
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001863:Bone Screws / Q000662:veterinary; D002102:Cadaver; D004285:Dogs; D013264:Stifle / Q000601:surgery*; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000662:veterinary*