OBJECTIVE: To correlate the initial grafting section area with the outcomes from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery. Eight dogs underwent operations, divided into two groups according to graft size: Group A, 25% and Group B, 40% of the patellar ligament (PL) width. METHODS: After eight months, the dogs were sacrificed for macroscopic and histological analysis on the reconstructed ligaments. Each dog's contralateral knee was used as a control. RESULTS: In both groups, all the reconstructed ligaments were seen to be viable and hypertrophied. The morphology of the PL grafting had changed, which was observed by measuring the crimp and cellularity, and it resembled that of the ACL. CONCLUSION: The grafting section area did not influence the histological outcomes from ACL reconstruction surgery in dogs.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament; Grafting; Histology; Dogs
