Objective: To document the prevalence and incidence rate of infection in dogs undergoing partial tarsal arthrodesis (PTA). For context, findings were compared with the prevalence of infection following tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) at the same institution. Independent variables associated with infection were also identified.
Study design: Case-control study.
Animals: Eighty-nine dogs underwent PTA; 292 dogs underwent TPLO.
Methods: Medical records for dogs that underwent PTA from 2017 to 2023 and dogs that underwent TPLO between January 2022 and December 2022 were reviewed. The prevalence, incidence rate, odds and incidence rate ratio of infection were calculated.
Results: The prevalence of infection following PTA was 43%; following TPLO it was 13%. The incidence rate of infection was 0.00276 (95% CI: 0.00198-0.00375) and 0.00010 (95% CI: 0.00007-0.00013) infections per dog-week, respectively. The odds ratio and incidence rate ratio for infection following PTA were 5.0 (95% CI: 3.1-9.0) and 28.2 (95% CI: 17.7-45.0), respectively.
Conclusion: The prevalence and incidence rate of infection were higher following PTA than TPLO. Dogs that underwent PTA were five times more likely to develop infection than dogs that underwent TPLO, and developed infection at 28 times the rate of dogs that underwent TPLO. Dogs with open wounds, no postoperative bandage, and treated with a combined medial and lateral approach, had a higher point prevalence of infection.
