Cranial cruciate ligament failure is a common orthopaedic problem in dogs. The ligament helps to stabilise the knee joint whilst allowing it to flex & extend. Most commonly the ligament fails because of a degenerative process in which case the other ligament may be affected at some time also. Less commonly the cause is purely an athletic injury in an active dog that jumps.

One of the operations we perform is called an MMP (Modified Maquet Procedure) which is a technique which advances the position of part of the tibia. This gives the effect of modifying the forces on the knee joint to neutralise the instability caused by the ligament rupture.

TTA is the abbreviation for Tibial Tuberosity Advancement. This a surgical procedure used to treat cranial (or anterior) cruciate ligament rupture in the knee joints (stifle) of dogs. It involves cutting the top of the shin bone (the tibia), moving it forward and stabilising it in its new position. Tibial Tuberosity Advancement surgery is a major procedure with possible complications. As a result, it is only performed in dogs where the benefits of surgery outweigh the possible risks, and where alternative methods of treatment are less successful.

We also perform a technique using a lateral stabilising suture to ensure that the joint is held in place as tightly as possible to stabilise it. This is the most common surgery performed for dog anterior cruciate ligament rupture.

We will check your dog 5 days later and again at 10-14 days after the operation. We also routinely do a follow up xray to ensure everything has stayed in position for the first month. If all is well at this stage we can start to increase exercise levels whilst remaining on a lead. Most dogs will be fine to run around after 2-3 months. We highly recommend our physiotherapist Chloe to speed the recovery of your pet after stifle surgery.