A dog treated for CCL rupture develops a draining tract. What is the most likely cause?

A dog treated for CCL rupture develops a draining tract. What is the most likely cause?

• A. A retained suture material causing infection
• B. Hematoma
• C. Seroma
• D. Normal post-op drainage

Answer: (A)

A draining tract after orthopedic surgery is most often due to infection that has established around a foreign material left in the surgical site. Retained suture material can act as a nidus for bacteria, leading to chronic infection and the formation of a sinus tract that drains to the skin. Hematomas and seromas can drain, but they are usually non-infected fluid collections that occur sooner and resolve with healing, whereas a persistent draining tract points to an infectious process around a foreign body. Normal post-operative drainage should be minimal and temporary; ongoing drainage with a tract suggests infection related to retained material, making this the most likely cause.

A draining tract after orthopedic surgery is most often due to infection that has established around a foreign material left in the surgical site. Retained suture material can act as a nidus for bacteria, leading to chronic infection and the formation of a sinus tract that drains to the skin. Hematomas and seromas can drain, but they are usually non-infected fluid collections that occur sooner and resolve with healing, whereas a persistent draining tract points to an infectious process around a foreign body. Normal post-operative drainage should be minimal and temporary; ongoing drainage with a tract suggests infection related to retained material, making this the most likely cause.