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Apr 21, 2022 · A dog’s knee, also referred to as a stifle, is a complex structure consisting of: Multiple bones. Femur (thigh bone) Patella (kneecap) Tibia (shinbone) Ligaments. Meniscus. While there are multiple ligaments within the knee, typically a torn knee ligament refers to the tearing of the cranial cruciate ligament.
- What and Where Are The Cruciate ligaments?
- How Does A Cranial Cruciate Injury occur?
- How Is It Diagnosed?
- Is Other Joint Damage Common?
- Is An Operation Always Necessary?
- What Does Surgery involve?
- Is Postoperative Care Difficult?
- Is Obesity Such A Problem?
The word cruciate means “to cross over” or “form a cross”. The cruciate ligaments are two bands of fibrous tissue located within each knee (stifle) joint. They join the femur and tibia together (the bones above and below the knee joint), so the knee works as a stable, hinged joint. One ligament runs from the inside to the outside of the knee joint ...
The knee joint is a hinge joint. It is relatively unstable because there are no interlocking bones in the joint. Instead, it is held together by several ligaments, including the cruciate ligaments, which allow it to move back and forth like a hinge, but restrict its side-to-side motion. The two most common causes of cranial cruciate rupture are tra...
With traumatic cruciate rupture, the usual history is that the dog was running and suddenly stopped or cried out and was then unable to bear weight on the affected leg. Many pets will “toe touch”, placing only a small amount of weight on their injured leg. During the lameness examination, your veterinarian will try to demonstrate a particular movem...
Inside the knee joint are pieces of cartilage called menisci. The menisci act as shock absorbers between the femur and tibia. The menisci are often damaged when the cruciate ligaments rupture. They are usually repaired at the same time as the ligament.
Dogs weighing less than 15 kg (33 lb) may heal without surgery, provided they have severe exercise restriction such as strict cage rest for six weeks. Dogs over 15 kg (33 lb) usually require surgery to stabilize the knee. Unfortunately, most dogs eventually require surgery to correct this painful injury. Consult your veterinarian to determine the b...
There are various surgical techniques to stabilize the knee joint following cruciate rupture. The repair techniques fall into two broad categories, the first of which is extracapsular techniques (meaning the repair is outsidethe joint capsule of the knee joint). The surgeon inspects the joint, removing fragments of the ruptured ligament and repairi...
It is important that your dog have limited activity for at least six to eight weeks after surgery. The activity restriction may be less if a TPLO or TTA has been performed. Provided you can carry out your veterinarian's instructions, good function should return to the limb within three months. Unfortunately, regardless of the technique used to stab...
Obesity or excess weight can predispose dogs to cruciate ligament rupture or tear. If your dog is overweight, the postsurgical recovery time will be much longer. Obesity also greatly increases the risk of injury to the other knee, especially during the recuperation period. Weight loss is as important as surgery in ensuring a rapid return to normal ...
Aug 3, 2022 · Additionally, once a dog has a CCL tear in one knee, there is a 25-50% chance that the other knee will tear in the next 12 to 16 months. Dog ACL tear conservative treatment In small dogs (less than 15 kg or 33 pounds) who have a comparably small amount of mass to move around, conservative treatment with rest and pain management may be an ...
- Restrict Exercise. Restricting your pup's movements is critical to dog ACL surgery recovery. You will likely get a couple of pages of discharge instructions from your surgeon that give you specifics, some of which may include
- Monitor Implants. All ACL surgeries require some sort of implant in the knee, and it's important to monitor your dog's surgical site for any signs of implant complications.
- Keep All Follow-Up Appointments. Your vet will want to see your dog for follow-up appointments, usually two weeks after surgery, four weeks after surgery and eight weeks after surgery.
- Administer Medications for Pain Control. Knee surgery is painful! Your vet will prescribe pain medications that can include non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.
The cranial cruciate ligament (or CCL, see Figure 1) is one of the most important stabilizers inside the knee (also called “stifle”) joint, the middle joint in the back leg. In humans the CCL is called the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The meniscus (see Figure 1) is a cartilage-like structure that sits in between the shin and thigh bone.
NamePhone970-492-4174970-297-4035970-297-4168970-297-4059Ongoing care and outlook. With treatment and a good recovery, it’s likely that your dog will return to living a relatively normal life. However, around one third of dogs who have had a cruciate ligament injury, develop a similar problem in the other knee at some point later in their life, so it’s important to protect them from injuring themselves again by:
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May 8, 2023 · The CCL in dogs is analogous to the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in people. This ligament connects the femur, the bone in the thigh, to the tibia, or shin bone, in the dog’s hind leg. It is located in the “knee” joint (called the stifle in dogs) and prevents the tibia from sliding forward. “Unlike in people, CCL injuries are usually ...
