Osteosarcoma incidence in dogs following a tibial plateau levelling osteotomy

TL;DR

A study suggests that dogs who undergo a tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO) may have a higher risk of developing osteosarcoma later in life.

Contribution

This is the first study to report a 40-fold increased risk of osteosarcoma in dogs following TPLO surgery.

Findings

Dogs with a history of TPLO had a 40.65 times higher risk of osteosarcoma compared to those without TPLO.

The confidence interval was wide, indicating uncertainty about the true effect size.

The study highlights the need for further matched case-control research to confirm the association.

Abstract

In dogs, does undergoing a tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO) compared to not undergoing a TPLO affect the future risk of developing osteosarcoma?

Risk.

One experimental study, designed as a matched case control.

Weak.

Only one study is appropriately designed to investigate a TPLO and associated osteosarcoma risk. This study found a 40-fold increased risk in dogs with a history of TPLO, compared to dogs that had not undergone a TPLO (OR, 40.65; 95% CI, 4.04 to 409.06; P = 0.002).

There is weak yet preliminary indication to suggest a TPLO increases a dog’s risk of developing osteosarcoma later in life. However, with such a wide confidence interval, the true effect remains unclear. Additional matched case-control studies are needed to strengthen knowledge of this correlation, however until this time osteosarcoma should be considered as a differential diagnosis in post-TPLO dogs which present with lameness and/or proximal limb swelling.