Leva, a golden retriever, with cruciate rupture. Tibial tuberosity advancement performed (TTA).
The cranial cruciate ligament is a major stabilising ligament inside the knee joint. It is equivalent to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in humans. Cruciate rupture is one of the major causes of hindlimb lameness in dogs. Degenerative changes occur in the ligament as the dog gets older resulting in the ligament rupturing without much force. This is the opposite to humans where trauma usually causes an ACL rupture. 40-60% of dogs that have had cruciate rupture in one knee, will rupture the ligament in the other knee at some point in the future. Cruciate rupture can occur in all sizes, breeds and ages of dogs. It is more common in middle aged, overweight and certain breeds of dogs (eg. Rottweiler, Labrador).
First x ray shows immediately post op, second x ray is 7 weeks later showing the osteotomy is healing well and the gap between the bones is very narrow now.
Following a cruciate rupture, the knee is unstable. A TTA involves cutting the front of the tibia and moving it to a new position, fixing it with a cage and plate. This stabilises the joint. As there is now an osteotomy (gap in the bone), we do a follow up x ray at 7 weeks to see the progression of the bone healing. Once it is healed, the dog can return to full exercise.
If your pets are in an emergency or if you have general inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact Veterinary Emergency Centre.
General Hotline: 2334-2334
24-Hour Emergency Hotline: 6828-6620
