Published in Scientific Works. Series C. Veterinary Medicine, Vol. LXVII, Issue 2
Written by Giulia MORETTI, Mario MILITI, Alexandra PETEOACA, Giovanni ANGELI, Eleonora MONTI, Antonello BUFALARI
Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture is a common orthopedic disease in canine patients. Although it is possible to diagnose this injury through an orthopedic clinical examination, imaging can increase diagnostic certainty. This comparative Ex-Vivo study allowed us to improve our knowledge of the ultrasound anatomy of intra-articular structures of the dog's healthy knee. The CCL, the patellar tendon and menisci were examined by ultrasonography, Computed Tomography (CT) and CT-arthrography. Besides performing a comparison of the ultrasound and CT results, to better understand the sonoanatomy of the CCL and to prove that it can be properly identified by sonography, the ligament was stained with methylene blue under ultrasound guidance. To overcome the limitations of the Ex-Vivo study, the ultrasound scans obtained were compared with similar ones performed in healthy non-sedated dogs. Results indicate that in large dogs, ultrasonography is a valid diagnostic method for visualizing the cranial-distal part of the CCL and also evaluating the external portion of both menisci.
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