Summary
The objective of the present study was to determine the tibial plateau angle (TPA)
in cats without stifle pathology and to compare it with cats suffering from an isolated
cranial cruciate ligament rupture. Mediolateral radiographs of the stifle were taken
and the tibial plateau angle was measured based on the method previously described
by Slocum and Devine (1983) for dogs. Three observers with different levels of experience
evaluated the radiographs of all of the cats in this study. The mean tibial plateau
angle measured by all three observers in the cats with a rupture of the cranial cruciate
ligament (CCL) was 3.1° greater than in cats without stifle pathology. Neither gender,
age, body weight nor degenerative joint disease had an influence on measurement results.
The authors found an inter-observer variability of ± 5.3°. Hence it can be concluded
that cats with cranial cruciate ligament rupture have a greater TPA, and this at least
lends some credence to the possibility of higher TPA being a predis-posing factor
for cruciate injury in this species.
Keywords
Cat - stifle - tibial plateau measurement - cranial cruciate ligament