Locking Plate and Screw Fixation After Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy Reduces Postoperative Infection Rate in Dogs Over 50 kg

Objective To assess the influence of locking plate and screw implants on postoperative infection rate in dogs >50 kg undergoing tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). Study Design Retrospective case series. Animals Dogs >50 kg (n = 208) that had TPLO. Methods Medical records (January 2003–September 2011) were reviewed for dogs that had TPLO. Type of implant used (locking plate and screw fixation [LP] and dynamic compression plate and screw fixation [NLP]), use of postoperative antibiotics and presence of postoperative infection were recorded. Multivariate analysis was performed. Results Forty dogs (21.3%) had clinical signs compatible with postoperative infection. A positive microbiology swab was available in 16/40 cases (40%). Administration of postoperative antibiotics was associated with a lower incidence of infection (P = .006) and the use of NLP was associated with a higher incidence of infection (P = .01). Conclusions Use of LP construct and postoperative antibiotic therapy significantly decreased infection rate in dogs >50 kg that have TPLO.