Tearing/rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL; equivalent to human ACL/anterior cruciate ligament) is one of the most common causes of hind limb lameness in dogs.
This article focuses on the above procedure: For further discussion of Cranial Cruciate Ligament disease please see the ACVS website article.
There are numerous medical and surgical therapies for CCL rupture, as well as various rehabilitation (“physical therapy”) options. In my experience, patients with surgical therapy recover more quickly and completely than with non-surgical therapy; and patients with bone-altering surgeries (such as TTA/Tibial Tuberosity Advancement and TPLO/Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy) recover more consistently and completely than those with suture stabilization techniques.
A further modification Tibial Tuberosity Advancement procedure, incorporating the Modified Maquet Technique and using the TTA Rapid implants, is the ideal option in my experience for pets of any size.
Advantages:
The bone is only partially cut
Distal (lower) cortex (hard outer bone layer) remains intact
Increased stability
Improved blood supply
More rapid healing time
Improved cage
More screws stabilizing each side of the cut bone
Two per side in medium dogs
Three per side in large dogs
Honeycomb patterns enhances bone in-growth
Fewer Implants
Improved cage and incomplete cut eliminates need for plate and fork Less-invasive
Involves only the tuberosity (Top/front of the tibia)
No screws in weight-bearing portion of bone
Shorter surgery time
Smaller surgical approach
Fewer implants to place
Please schedule an appointment with our board-certified surgeon, Dr. Jeff Christiansen at the clinic of your choice, to evaluate your pet and to discuss the Tibial Tuberosity Advancement Rapid procedure to improve your pet's length and quality of life.
Other images courtesy of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons; for further information please see the ACVS page on cranial cruciate ligament disease (though please note that the discussion of the TTA on that page refers only to the original procedure, and not the TTA Rapid/Modified Maquet procedure, which I perform)
"My Labradoodle, LuLu, needed knee surgery. Her health is my top priority, so I researched Veterinary Surgeons, and Dr. Christiansen was highly recommended to me. My experience with him has been wonderful, and Lulu loves him. His demeanor with her was so compassionate, you could really see how much he cares about animals.
Lulu is fully recovered from her surgery, yet I still look to Dr. Christiansen as a source of advice and expertise regarding Lulu's well being."