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Hi all,

Hoping you may be able to help me with something.  A friend of mine asked me to look at her lab which had a TPLO in August. The dog is minimally weight bearing and still on metacam.  Objectively:
-psoas tight and decreased hip extension.  She did not have any positive hip tests but was toeing out on the affected leg
-  -ve palpation 
- quad and glute atrophy. 
- extension full, flexion reduced and +ve pain 
- decreased caudal glide +ve P, compression +ve P, distraction -ve
- +ve McMurry

She is contacting the surgeon to see if there was meniscal damage or if he dog still has a meniscus.  According to an X-ray in sept, the bone has healed (although I though I saw some shadowing - see attached).  If the meniscus was in fact removed in the surgery, what other reasons could support why she is partially wt bearing and painful at this time so far post op?  Another rehab vet said OA, but I’m not 100% convinced. Oh, and it felt like a medial buttress as well, does that happen post TPLO?

Any thoughts on this would be very appreciated.  Her owner is suppose to be leaving this week for travel but is very concerned about her dog

Warm regards from the east coast. 
S.

Hey S,

A meniscus is never ‘fully’ removed.  And even if they did a meniscal release, it is not 100% protective for preventing a meniscal injury.
It needs to go back to the vet… not sure what exactly could be going on, and I don’t want to worry anyone with providing a list of scary differentials.  However, meniscus would be high on the list.

Laurie

Thanks Laurie. I did let her know that she really should let the surgeon know the current status of the dog. She is suppose to be going to India for two months this coming Thursday.... your comment on scary differentials has me a little more concerned.  Never the less, I will mention to her again about contacting the surgeon

Thanks for your super fast response!
S. 

Please excuse my ignorance but what does +ve P, -ve, etc. mean. I am not familiar with those abbreviations/acronyms.

Rick

Sorry Rick... again, this is another e-mail that came in to me. Usually I edit them for abbreviations, typos, colloquialisms, etc. My bad.

+ve = postive
P = pain
-ve = negative

Just a variation of physio short hand!

Cheers,
Laurie