A 7-year-old, male, neutered Bichon Frise presented with a 3-month history of intermittent lameness 18 months post tibial plateau levelling osteotomy as treatment for cranial cruciate ligament rupture. On the physical examination, hyperextension of the right stifle joint was detected. Radiographic examination showed the patella was located distal to the femoral trochlea, and the patellar ligament was contracted and significantly shortened. Proximal tibial tuberosity transposition was performed using a tibial tuberosity advancement plate to restore the position of the patella. The aetiology of the patella baja and the surgical restorations are discussed in the report.
A limitation of this report is the lack of histopathological evaluation of the infrapatellar tissue, which would be necessary to confirm the suspected disease process. Also, the patient was treated with a 4-week course of antibiotics when it presented with a superficial pyoderma 6 weeks post TPLO. At that point, due to the unclear circumstances, no bacteriological culture from the skin lesion or the synovial fluid was performed before the prescription of the antibiotics. Therefore, the possible influence of an infection cannot be ruled out as a factor in this IPCS, particularly given that in people, flexion deformity is commonly associated with septic arthritis.14
While the described case report shares significant similarities with human IPCS, further research is essential for the justification and formal labelling of this condition as ‘IPCS in dogs’. Specifically, histopathological evaluation is needed to confirm the correlation with human IPCS. Additionally, further documented cases of patella baja as a postoperative complication of TPLO are necessary to identify potential risk factors for this condition and to guide the development of effective treatment strategies.
