TPLO Surgery for Dogs
TPLO surgery, or Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy, is a common surgical treatment for dogs that suffer from a ruptured cranial cruciate ligament (CCL). CCL rupture causes lameness of the hind limbs and can be debilitating and life limiting for the animals experiencing it. Fortunately, with surgeries like TPLO for dogs, we can provide life-changing care to our patients and help them recover their mobility, comfort, and zest for life.
What is Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy?
Description
TPLO is a surgical technique in which we cut a wedge of bone from the head of the tibia, rotate it a specific number of degrees, and then plate the rotated bone in place. This changes the angle of the head of the tibia, reducing the steepness of the tibial slope and providing greater stability to the knee joint.
TPLO surgery is achieved with the aid of locking plates and screws to hold the bones securely in position while they heal and ensure stability of the stifle joint. The plates and screws can typically remain in place after the bone has healed.
Why is the CCL So Important?
Like human knees, the knee joints of dogs (or stifle joints) are designed to absorb impact. The stifle joint is comprised of the femur, the tibia, and the patella, and four key ligaments that keep the whole joint stable. The cranial cruciate ligament, or CCL, is one of these ligaments, and is essentially the canine equivalent of the human anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL.
Your dog’s CCL is meant to do several important things:
- Prevent the stifle joint from hyperextending
- Minimize rotation of the tibia bone
- Prevent the tibia from sliding in a front-to-back motion in relation to the femur
When the CCL ruptures, it is no longer able to serve these functions, and the stifle joint starts to degenerate. The damage cannot be healed and often requires surgical intervention to correct.
The Benefits of TPLO Surgery for Dogs
TPLO surgery has a high rate of success for dogs. While it is more invasive than the TTA procedure, many patients can start putting weight on the treated limb within just a few days of surgery. Dogs that have undergone TPLO surgery also experience comfort in the treated joint very quickly.
Even more importantly, a majority of dogs treated with TPLO surgery are able to live active, pain-free lives again. Many dogs can even return to their pre-injury state of running and jumping. Every dog is different and may have a slightly different outcome with their TPLO surgery, but an improved quality of life is our ultimate goal for our patients.
