The effect of cranial cruciate ligament reconstruction, associated or not to chondroitin sulfate, on the evolution of experimentally induced osteoarthritis in dogs was studied. Twenty healthy mixed dogs, weighing between 19 and 25kg were submitted to cranial cruciate desmotomy. Thirty days later, the animals were divided into two groups with ten dogs each. One was submitted to cranial cruciate ligament reconstruction using frozen patellar tendon allograft and the other received no surgical treatment. Thirty one days after desmotomy, each group was divided into two subgroups with five animals each. One subgroup for each group received chondroitin sulfate and the other received no medical treatment. The dogs were evaluated clinically and radiographically before desmotomy, 30, 60 and 90 days after desmotomy, and at this moment, accomplished gross and microscopical exams. In dogs submitted to only desmotomy, chondroitin sulfate reduced radiographically the progression of osteoarthritic bone changes. Cranial cruciate ligament reconstruction improved dog's gait, however, when associated with chondroitin sulfate, the limb function improved even quicker. There were no statistical differences between subgroups at gross and histological evaluation.
dog; cruciate ligament; osteoarthritis; chondroitin sulfate
