Case Study

ORTHO – Full cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture with moderate degenerative joint disease (DJD) in a 3 year old MN dog

This 3 year old MN dog presented with a painful, swollen left stifle

DX

The ultrasonographic findings of the left stifle joint are compatible with full rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament and moderate chronic degenerative joint disease with capsular thickening, synovial proliferations and osteophytosis

Image Interpretation

Ultrasound of the left and right stifle –

Left stifle:

A moderate amount of anechoic effusion as well as moderate synovial proliferations and capsular thickening is noted within the suprapatellar and infrapatellar recess of the left stifle joint. Especially within the infrapatellar recess the thickening of the synovial lining is marked. There are moderate osteophyte formations at the periarticular margins of the femoropatellar and femorotibial joint. The cranial cruciate ligament presents as an echogenic irregular stump at the eminence of the tibia and is surrounded by a moderate amount of effusion. The medial meniscal surface is smooth in outline, the visible portion of the meniscus is uniform in echogenicity. There is no evidence of meniscal prolapse.

Right stifle:

A scant amount of anechoic effusion as well as subtle synovial thickening is noted within the suprapatellar and infrapatellar recess of the right stifle joint. There are osteophyte formations emerging at the periarticular margins of the femoropatellar joint. The cranial cruciate ligament is continuous with a regular fiber pattern, even thickness and smooth outline. The medial meniscus is in situ, uniform in echogenicity and smooth in outline.

Outcome

There was no evidence of medial meniscal pathology in the left stifle joint.
Even though the ultrasonographic examination of the right stifle joint supports the presence of mild chronic degenerative joint disease, there is no evidence of cranial cruciate or meniscal pathology at this point.