Cranial cruciate ligament disease (CCLD) is among the most common orthopedic conditions in dogs, and tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) is the current standard of care; however, long-term radiographic data on tibial plateau angle (TPA) stability specific to small-breed dogs (<10 kg) remain limited.
This retrospective study evaluated radiographic correction and long-term stability of TPA following TPLO in small-breed dogs and assessed whether observed TPA changes fell within the range of measurement error.
Thirty stifles from 25 small-breed dogs (body weight 2.56-9.46 kg) that underwent TPLO between 2022 and 2025 were reviewed, with a mean follow-up of 12.6 ± 6.8 months. TPA was measured preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, at 1-2 months, and at ≥6 months using digital orthopedic planning software.
Preoperative TPA averaged 31.23 ± 4.60° and decreased to 4.68 ± 1.84° immediately after surgery; at ≥6 months, mean TPA was 5.19 ± 1.83°. The mean change (ΔTPA) was 0.52 ± 0.64° (95% CI: 0.28-0.75°). Although statistically significant (p < 0.001), this fell below the 1.5° intraobserver measurement error previously reported. Body weight showed no correlation with ΔTPA (r = -0.059, p = 0.756).
These findings were robust in a sensitivity analysis restricted to one stifle per dog (n = 25; mean ΔTPA 0.56 ± 0.67°) and in the subgroup without concurrent medial patellar luxation (n = 19; mean ΔTPA 0.40 ± 0.49°), both remaining within the reported measurement error. TPLO achieved effective and radiographically stable TPA correction in small-breed dogs.
