Delayed surgical repair of a rupture of quadriceps tendons in a dog after failure of primary surgery

A 10-month-old female American bulldog presented for surgical revision of a left quadriceps injury that was sustained after running into a glass table. The wounds were initially repaired and tendons reattached at the referring practice. However, the dog remained non-weight bearing following the initial surgery. A substantial gap could be palpated within the quadriceps, proximal to the stifle joint, indicating failure of the quadriceps mechanism repair. Radiography of the limb revealed a large joint effusion and soft tissue swelling around the stifle. Surgical revision of the quadriceps deficit was performed. The dog made a full recovery and no residual lameness was evident 6 months following surgery.