Intraoperative gross morphological changes and synovial fluid analysis in dogs with patellar luxation

Nine dogs of various breeds and ages with symptoms of patellar luxation presented to the small animal surgical ward of Department of Veterinary Clinical Complex, C.V.Sc, Tirupati were subjected to detailed physical examination and were treated surgically. Surgical procedures included osseous procedures such as trochlear wedge recession and trochlear block recession in combination with ancillary procedures such as retinacular imbrication and augmentation technique. Intraoperatively, synovial fluid was collected from affected stifle joint and subjected for analysis. The gross morphological changes of stifle noticed intraoperatively in articular cartilage of femoral trochlea, patella and surrounding structures such as thickened and hyperemic joint capsule, abnormal fluid collection and pooling over peri-articular tissues, rough and irregular cartilage, brittle cartilage, fragile and eroded articular cartilage, fraying of articular cartilage, distorted trochlear ridges, shallow or flat trochlear groove, trochlear dysplasia, trochlear condylar hypoplasia, osteophyte formation, periarticular osteophytes, osteophyte deposition on femoral condyle, sclerosis and erosion of subchondral bone, thickened and avascular subchondral tissue and eburnation of subchondral bone and femoral condyles were recorded. This article describes intraoperative gross morphological changes in articular cartilage of femoral trochlea, patella and surrounding structures of stifle joint, along with synovial fluid analysis performed during surgical correction of patellar luxation in nine dogs.