The rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) is an ordinary orthopedic affection whose treatment is usually surgical. Among others, the application of nylon monofilament prosthesis is a successful technique.

The proposal of this abstract is show the good results we have gotten at the veterinary hospital into a Brazilian University--Pontifícia Universidade Católica in the city of Betim, in Minas Gerais state. It has been used the application of light emitting diode (LED) in the articulation of some animals submitted to the repairing of that ligament.

Ten dogs from different breeds, age and sex were directed to CCL reparative surgery. When those animal were clinical examined, they presented different lameness degrees and pain. When examined they all showed positive gait test and tibial compressed test. The surgical technique used was that one described by Ferreira in 2000.

At the end of the surgical procedure, immediately after the skin suture and with the patient still anesthetized, it was done the irradiation of 30 cluster LEDs emitting red radiation over the lateral and medial face of the articulation surgically operated. It was an irradiation of 630 cm wavelength and 4 joules /cm2 of intensity in each face. It was dressed a wound to protect the part where it was done the surgery and a thick court-plaster to limit knee articulation motion as well.

The following Led therapy sessions took place in the second, forth and seventh days after the surgery, using the same procedure adopted right after the surgery. It was done the band change in the second and fourth days and in the seventh one it was proceeded the complete retreat of the curative and skin suture.

All the surgical wounds were healed for first intention, and the skin cicatricial process was developed in an organized way and macroscopically faster than those procedures where after-surgical led therapy was not used. It was clear that there was a great improvement in the blood supply, mainly in the sessions accomplished in the immediate right after surgery, through a discreet bleeding shown in the wounds after the LED application. In spite of that, there was no occurrence of any swallowprocesses and also not was seen any type of skin irritation. During those sessions, the animals didn't demonstrate any discomfort nor any pain. At the seventh day after the surgery, all the patients could already support the operated member. It was not noticed any pain manifestation when done the manipulation of the operated articulation during the retreat of the bands. At the 15th right surgery day, all the patients already could use the operated member and little lack of muscular mass was notice when clinical compare with the other limb. At the twenty-first day after the surgery all the animals already walked without lame signs.

The application of a group of light emitting diode (LED) of 630nm length in the surgical wound during the postoperative showed to be a safe physiotherapeutic auxiliary procedure. Its anti-inflammatory, painkiller and bio stimulator effects are seemingly able to favour the cicatricial process, however, it is necessary to accomplish more detailed studies to prove these observations.

References

1.  Johnson, F.L. Prosthetic anterior cruciate ligament. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, v.137, n.11, p. 646-647, 1960.

2.  Ferreira, L.F.L. Monofilament Nylon Application In The Intra-Articular Preparing Of The Cranial Cruciate Rupture In Dogs. Tesis, Escola de Veterinária da UFMG - 2000

3.  Vasseur, P. B., Griffey, S., Massat, B. J. Evaluation of the Leeds-Keio synthetic replacement for the cranial cruciate ligament in dogs: an experimental study. Veterinary Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology, v.9, n.2, p.66-74, 1996.

4.  Vasseur, P.B., Rodrigo, J.J., Stevensson, S., CLARK, G. Replacement of the cranial cruciate ligament with a bone-ligament-bone cranial cruciate ligament allograft. Veterinary Surgery, v.15, n.1, p.137, 1986.

5.  Ferreira, L.F.L. Monofilament Nylon Application In The Intra-Articular Preparing Of The Cranial Cruciate Rupture In Dogs. Tesis, Escola de Veterinária da UFMG - 2000