Fig. 1

Intraoperative picture of the applied stifle distractor. The proximal stirrup (a) was applied in the area of the femoral condyles, while the distal stirrup (b) was applied in the area of the proximal tibial metaphysis. They were both connected to the bone by means of a 1.5-mm K-wire. The stirrups were then connected to the distractor’s arms (c), and the distraction load was increased as required by turning the knob (d) to achieve consistent visualization to perform a complete evaluation of the menisci and to perform the planned surgical procedure. An efflux cannula (e) was inserted in the proximo-medial area of the joint