Cruciate Ligament Damage in Dogs

The cruciate is fibrosis ligament that is important to keep the knee (stifle) stable when our dogs walk. In dogs the cruciate ligament can rupture or tear due to an awkward movement or chronic inflammation. Once the cruciate ligament is torn it cannot heal itself, which results in long term lameness and progressive arthritis that greatly reduce the dog’s mobility and quality of life.

Cruciate Surgery in Dogs

The two main types of surgery available ligament replacement outside the joint called De Angles and Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA). The DeAngelis technique involves the placement of a strong artificial ligament around the outside the joint (but under the skin) to directly provide support. TTA surgery involves the cutting of bone in the dog’s knee to change the force in the joint, thereby improving stability.

Patella Dislocation in Dogs

Some dogs, mostly small breed dogs, are born with a top leg bone (femur) and bottom leg bone (tibia) that are not lined up correctly. This can result in the knee caps dislocating when they walk or run, which will result in painful and irreversable arthritis in the long-term, as well as short-term discomfort. Surgery by a skilled professional is the only way to repair a dislocating kneecap.

Patella Realignment in Dogs

The great news that once the kneecap is repaired the back leg works better than when they were born. The surgery to repair usually involves moving the attachment of the patella ligament to the shin bone (tibia) and cutting a deeper groove for the kneecap to stop it dislocating.