TPLO Surgery 6 Step Overview.
TPLO Surgery: An Overview
The Causes & Symptoms of a CCL Injury
CCL injuries can arise from a degenerative condition or a sudden traumatic rupture. Genetics, obesity, and the anatomy of your pet’s knees are all factors that could lead to a torn CCL.
When your canine ruptures the CCL, its hind legs can become lame, followed by periodic stiffness. Lameness also occurs from other meniscus injuries.
Diagnosing a Torn CCL
Your veterinarian will conduct multiple tests to determine whether or not your canine has a torn CCL. The “cranial drawer test” is one test your vet can perform. In this test, the doctor will move the tibia to see if it slides forward simulating tibial thrust. Your vet can also take an x-ray of the affected knee to identify changes on the joint that are related to a CCL injury.
Treatment Options
Dogs with CCL injuries can undergo either surgical or non-surgical treatments.
Non-Surgical Treatment
Weight management for overweight canines
Changes to the pet's usual exercise
Joint Supplements
Additional therapies
Pain Management
Surgical Treatment
Your veterinarian can also recommend surgery for a CCL injury. When deciding whether your pet should get surgery, you have several factors to consider. These factors include the size of your canine, the severity of the injury, and other medical conditions that it may have. With these things in mind, your knee surgeon can then decide if your dog will need an extracapsular surgery or an osteotomy.
Extracapsular Techniques
In an extracapsular procedure, the surgeon will place sutures on vital parts of the affected area of the knee for added stability. The lateral extracapsular suture, Tightrope, and SwiveLock surgeries use this technique when fixing a torn CCL.
Osteotomy
This surgery involves cutting and reshaping the bone to stabilize the affected knee joint. TPLO surgery for dogs focuses on the tibia. Osteotomy techniques reduce the tibial plateau slope and keep it from sliding forward. If you’re pursuing osteotomy for your pet, the following options are available:
- TPLO
- Center of rotation of angulation (CORA)-based
- leveling osteotomy (CBLO)
- Triple tibial osteotomy (TTO)
- Closing wedge osteotomy
- Tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA)
Why Choose TPLO for Your Pet?
Dogs that undergo TPLO can already use the affected limb within several days after the procedure. Smaller dog breeds also tend to heal and return to their normal selves faster after surgery. Medium and large canines also benefit from TPLO procedures.
Moreover, TPLO has a 90 to 95% success rate, giving your dog a high chance of returning to its lively self after the procedure and allowing it to run, jump, and play like it usually did.
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