ORTHOPAEDICS
sis (medial buttress) is evident on the medial side of the
stifle. Medial buttress is almost pathognomonic for a cranial cruciate rupture. The only other condition that may
present with a medial buttress is a medial collateral ligament tear, which is usually seen with a deranged stifle, not
with simple lameness.
Joint effusion is also a key finding. It can be palpated on
the medial and lateral aspects of the patellar tendon.
In patients with a partial tear, the cranial drawer sign may
or may not be present. An examination performed while
the patient is sedated is needed to confirm the findings.
Many patients that do not seem to have a cranial drawer
sign while awake have one once they are sedated and
relaxed.
Sit test
Dogs with a torn cruciate ligament sit abnormally. For example, notice how the patient in Figure 1 does not want to
flex its right knee. Affected dogs often sit with the affected
leg extending out to the side rather than sitting squarely,
which they will do even with hip dysplasia. So noting how
the dog sits is a critical part of [