The most common orthopedic injury that occurs in our canine patients is a rupture of the Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL).  Each year, more than one million dogs suffer from CCL insufficiency, which is referred to as the ACL or anterior cruciate ligament in humans.  In humans acute trauma is almost always the cause.  In dogs, CCL injury can occur as an acute trauma or more commonly is the result of a degenerative process that leads to early and progressive arthritis.  CCL insufficiency also causes pain and lameness and increases the risk of injury to other structures of the knee, such as the meniscus.  Techniques used to repair this injury in humans do not work well for dogs.  This is due to the unique biomechanics of the canine knee and the fact that in dogs, the CCL cannot be repaired or reattached.  Surgical options for dogs with this injury are the Extracapsular Stabilization or Lateral Suture Stabilization, the TightRope CCL procedure, the Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO), and the Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA).

What is a CCL and what does it do?

How does a rupture of the CCL occur?

What are the signs that my pet has a rupture of the CCL?

How is a rupture of the CCL diagnosed?

What are the surgical options for a ruptured CCL?

Extracapsular Stabilization/Lateral Suture Procedure

TightRope CCL

Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO)

Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA)