Guest Post: Cruciate Ligament Rupture in dogs – treatment options

October 7th, 2010 | by Mariam Rosa |

Today, we have a guest post from Dr. Rex Riggs, owner of Best Friends Veterinary Hospital in Powell, Ohio. He is a veterinarian, and an Advisory Board member of Embrace Pet Insurance. Dr. Riggs writes about treatment for a torn or ruptured cruciate ligament in a dog’s knee. ___________________________________________________________

Rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament is a very common injury in our canine patients. The cranial cruciate ligament is the main ligament that is responsible for the stability of the knee.

Some breeds of dogs, such as Goldens and Labrador retrievers, are more likely to tear their knee ligaments than others; perhaps because there are more Goldens and Labs in our practices. There is even thought to be a genetic predisposition in Goldens for rupturing their cruciate ligaments.

We as vets have always had a tough time suggesting the right surgical procedure for the right dog. It seems to be common practice to use a procedure called Lateral Suture Stabilization (LSS) dogs smaller then 40 to 50 pounds. These are often done by the general practitioner.

For the bigger dogs, it seems that most vets now refer the dogs to orthopedic surgeons to do a more complicated procedure called a Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO). In this procedure, the bone is actually cut and put back in a different position with bone plates and screws. At one time, a TPLO was actually patented and could only be done by a surgeon who went through a course and became certified.

There is also a new technique called a Tibia Tuberosity Advancement (TTA), which also involves cutting of bone and bone plates. Both TTA and TPLO procedures are more expensive then the LLS.

So which is the best one for your dog?

You would think that there are good veterinary studies that back up the advantage of one procedure over another. Unfortunately those are hard to find. Both human medicine and veterinary medicine are turning to Evidence Based Medicine to try to follow principles that eliminate bias and try to establish the truth in our recommendations. It is surprising how much of what our medical recommendations by human physicians and veterinarians are based on actual well-designed clinical studies.

As far as the repairs of the cranial cruciate ligament, not one of the three TPLO, TTA or the LLS has been shown by Evidence Based Medicine principles to be superior to the others.

On a personal note, I feel the most important factor is the skill and experience of the surgeon doing any one of the surgical procedures.

So don’t be bashful. If your dog ever has the need for knee surgery, ask your veterinarian why he or she chose one procedure over the others.

Related Posts:October is Orthopedic Month at Embrace Pet InsuranceThe Embrace Orthopedic Waiting Period: what is it and how do I reduce it?Guest Post: Cruciate Ligament Rupture in dogs – treatment optionsOther posts by Dr Riggs

Dr. Rex Riggs grew up in Wadsworth, Ohio, near Akron. Dr Riggs is co-owner of Best Friends Veterinary Hospital in Powell, Ohio. He is also on the board of the North Central Region of Canine Companions of Independence, a board member of The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Society and Small Animal Practitioner Advancement Board at The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Riggs lives in Lewis Center with his wife Nancy, their dogs Maggie, and two cats Franklin and Speeder. Outside of work, Dr. Riggs is an avid golfer and enjoys travel and photography.

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