Temporary Application of a Tarsal Arthrodesis Plate as a Postoperative Immobilization Technique in Common Calcaneal Tendon Injury Repair in Dogs: A Pilot Study

Objective: To determine if the temporary application of a pantarsal arthrodesis plate would provide adequate postoperative tarsal immobilization after calcaneal tendon repair and to identify complications compared to an established technique. Study Design: This was a single institution retrospective pilot study. Medical records of dogs from January 2008 through September 2019 that presented for common calcaneal tendon injury and underwent surgical repair were reviewed. Exclusion criteria included cases that had incomplete medical records or had insufficient follow up. 17 calcaneotibial (CT) screw and 10 temporary tarsal arthrodesis plate (TTAP) cases were included in the final analysis. Data collected included signalment, pertinent history, injury type, surgical technique, duration of postoperative immobilization, major postoperative complications that warranted a second procedure, and follow up time. Results: The major complications in the CT screw group were tendon re- injury (n=5), surgical site infection (n=1), and tendon laxity (n=1). The major complication in the plate group was tendon laxity (n=1). The median follow up time after initial surgery was 171 (range 36-1670) and 185 (range 57-567) days for the CT screw and TTAP groups, respectively. Conclusion: The results from this pilot study suggest that a TTAP is an acceptable method for postoperative immobilization after primary calcaneal tendon repair. Further research is warranted to validate this procedure.