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Veterinarians have described numerous surgical techniques to correct Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) injury, but no technique has proved to be better than the others. Currently, the most common surgical techniques are:
- Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO)
- Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA)
- Lateral Suture Stabilization (LSS)
- TightRope® CCL
The Center for Veterinary Pain Management and Rehabilitation offers both the TPLO and TightRope® CCL.
Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy
In 1978 Dr. Barclay Slocum developed the TPLO, which is one of the more popular surgical techniques. Dr. Slocum evaluated the mechanics of the stifle (knee) and formed the opinion that improper stifle mechanics led to increased forces, which subject the Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) to injury. In the TPLO procedure, we cut the upper tibia, which allows the upper section of the tibia to rotate. This rotation changes the angle of the top of the tibia and counters the force (the cranial tibial thrust) that we believe causes injury. We apply a bone plate and screws to stabilize the cut until healing occurs, usually in 8 to 12 weeks. We prefer this method of repair, and we have observed better long term results both in our surgical patients as well as in patients that have been referred to us for rehabilitation.
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TightRope® CCL Procedure
TightRope® is one of the newest surgical procedures for CCL disease, and was developed by Dr. James L. Cook, the Director of the Comparative Orthopedic Laboratory at the University of Missouri. In collaboration with Arthrex Vet Systems, Dr. Cook developed the technique of using FiberTape®, a revolutinary braided multi-strand material, to stabilize the CCL deficient stifle joint. This procedure is minimally invasive and does not require surgical cutting of bone.
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