The lateral fabellar suture (LFS) performed with autogenous fascia lata to stabilize the stifles of large breed dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CrCLR) was evaluated. The dogs were submitted to clinic and radiographic evaluation in the preoperative period and on the 60th, 180th and in some cases 360th day of the postoperative period. After the 60th day, almost every dog presented normal gait or lameness with continuous gait. On the 360th day, four stifles presented themselves as stable and the remainder presented mild instability. On the 360th day, three out of six limbs evaluated did not recover the thigh perimeter of the preoperative period. Stifle degenerative joint disease (DJD) scores on the 180th and 360th day of the postoperative period were significantly higher than those in the preoperative period. LFS is suitable to treat CrCLR on large breed dogs if consider stifle stability and gait, and that did not prevent or delay progression of DJD.
dog; stifle; cranial cruciate ligament rupture; surgical technique
