Mazzy

Mazzy is a 5-year-old spayed female yellow Labrador/Pit Bull cross with a very sweet personality.  She originally came to us on April 9, 1999 with a partially torn left cranial cruciate ligament and a possible meniscal click (indicating a partial meniscal tear).   She also had an arthritic right hip joint and a positive Ortolani click was elicited (indicating hip joint laxity) in the left hip (Figure 1). 

Figure 1. Ventro-dorsal radiograph of Mazzy, showing arthritic right hip.

On April 12, 1999, a Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) was performed, along with a meniscal release (Figures 2 & 3).  She did very well until July, 2000.  She then became lame on the right rear leg due to a torn right cranial cruciate ligament.  A right TPLO was performed on July 31, 2000 (Figures 4 & 5).  The left TPLO plate was removed at the same time because there was some lucency seen around the left plate, even though the TPLO osteotomy was completely united (Figure 6). 

Figure 2. Pre-operative radiograph of left knee	Figure 3. Immediately post-operative radiograph of left knee
Figure 4. Preoperative radiograph of right knee	Figure 5. Immediately post-operative radiograph of right knee
Figure 6. Radiograph of the left TPLO on July 31, 2000. Arrow points to the lucency around the plate, necessitating plate removal. The TPLO osteotomy was completely united.

Mazzy did well until November of 2000, when her left hip began to bother her.  Surgeries were discussed, but a decision was made to wait.  Then, in early 2001, both hips seemed to alternately be problems, so surgery was scheduled.

On February 27, 2001, Mazzy’s hips were evaluated for surgeries.  The right hip still had a large osteophyte (bone spur) and thickened femoral neck, but the left hip looked good (see Figure 2).  However, both hips had significant laxity (Figure 7) and the DAR views (Figure 8) showed excessive slopes of the dorsal acetabular rims.

Figure 7. Distraction of the femoral heads indicate excessive hip joint laxity, the main reason surgeries were elected.		Figure 8. DAR view showing excessive slope of the dorsal acetabular rim and poor boney coverage of the femoral heads.

Surgeries were performed on both hips on the same day (with the help of donations from a lot of Mazzy’s friends).  A 20-degree Triple Pelvic Osteotomy (TPO) was performed on the left hip to add additional dorsal acetabular support for the femoral head.  However, a TPO was not chosen for the right hip because of the concern that the turning of the acetabulum would cause restriction of abduction (movement of the hip away from the body), so a minor DARthroplasty was performed (Figures 8 & 9). 

Figure 9. Post-operative ventro-dorsal view of TPO (left hip) and minor DARthroplasty (right hip).	Figure 10. Postoperative lateral radiograph showing left TPO and right DARthroplasty.

The postoperative DAR view (Figure 11) shows the nice new dorsal acetabular rim that was created (the plate obstructs the view of the DAR on the left side).  Figures 12 & 13 show Mazzy the day after surgery, bearing almost complete weight on both hips and Figure 15 shows proud “father” Phil with his “daughter” getting ready to go home the day after surgery.

Figure 11. Postoperative DAR view radiograph showing new dorsal acetabular rim of the right hip.	Figure 12. Mazzy leaving hospital on February 27, 2001
Figure 13. Mazzy leaving hospital on February 27, 2001	Figure 14. Mazzy, glad to be goin' home.

Mazzy’s knees are doing very well.  Radiographs (Figures 15, 16) show that the joints are quiet and the osteotomies are healed well.

Figure 15. Radiograph of right knee (Februrary 27, 2001)	Figure 16. Radiograph of left knee (Februrary 27, 2001)