How is Tightrope CCL Different from Extracapsular Imbrication or Traditional Repair? The major difference between extracapsular imbrication/traditional repair methods and tightrope ccl is the way in which the knee joint is stabilized. In a traditional CCL repair, a leader line (suture, or you can also think of this as a fishing line) is woven across…
Category: Surgical Procedures
Tightrope CCL Surgery Recovery
The standard rehabilitation procedure for Tightrope repair is a bit different than TTA and TPLO, due to the less invasive nature of the procedure. When dogs return home from Tightrope repair, owners are instructed to allow their dog to utilize the leg as they wish. For some dogs this means they will start putting weight…
Tightrope CCL Procedure
The Tightrope CCL repair surgery is the newest surgical option available for dogs with cranial cruciate ligament injury. Unlike in humans, canine CCL tears and damage generally takes place over a period of months or years, rather than being associated with a single traumatic event. Because of the nature of these injuries, and their degenerative…
CCL Injury in Both Back Legs
It is not unusual for dogs who have a cranial cruciate ligament rupture in one leg to develop one in the other leg. It is a little unusual to have two severe ruptures at the same time, but it does occur, especially in large breed dogs or overweight canines. Generally the signs of this type…
Does My Dog Need a Meniscus?
When there is a joint injury like a cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture, it is important for the vet to try to preserve the menisci to the greatest extent possible. Loss of all or part of a stifle’s meniscus has the potential to accelerate the breakdown of articular cartilage with resultant DJD (Degenerative Joint Disease)….
Questions to Ask Your Vet Prior to CCL Surgery
If you and your veterinarian have decided to take surgical approach – TTA, TPLO, TTO, traditional/extracapsular/lateral suture repair, Tightrope – to correcting your dog’s cranial cruciate ligament rupture, you will want to be prepared for what to do prior to your dog’s knee surgery. The following checklist will provide a general idea of talking points…
TPLO vs. TTA for Cranial Cruciate Ligament Repair
TPLO, or tibial plateau leveling osteotomy, and TTA, or tibial tuberosity advancement, are two very new and biomechanically similar surgical techniques. Both the TPLO and TTA create stability within the dog stifle by altering the angle of the knee and using implants to hold the knee in place while the joint heals in its new…
TTA Surgical Procedure
TTA is the abbreviation for tibial tuberosity advancement. The TTA is among the newer techniques for cranial cruciate ligament repair of the canine stifle, making its appearance roughly 10 years ago. The TTA technique was developed in 2002 at the University of Zurich, and, biomechanically speaking, the procedure is very similar to the TPLO, without…
Extracapsular Imbrication Surgery, Traditional Repair Procedure
**UPDATE 2/2011 – The information below regarding UPenn Veterinary’s stance on TPLO surgeries is no longer correct. UPenn is, in fact, performing TPLOs on dogs. I will keep up the link to the article below discussing their previous stance toward TPLO so that people may have access to all of the information. Everything else in…
TPLO Surgery Procedure
TPLO, also known as Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy, is a surgical procedure in which the head of the tibia is surgically altered and plated to create a new joint angle. A new angle is created in the stifle to prevent the femur from sliding off of the tibia. This is a very invasive procedure, as…