An implant can be used to repair the cruciate attachment to the joint. If you wish an alternative to surgery, your veterinarian will be able to advise you on the best course of treatment. Your veterinarian may also prescribe medications for pain and inflammation if your pet's condition warrants them. Living and Management After the condition has been diagnosed and your pet has gone through the initial stage of treatment, management will depend on the particular method of treatment you and your veterinarian decided on. Most surgical techniques require two to four months of rehabilitation. If conformational abnormalities have been determined, it is wise to avoid breeding your pet to prevent passing along the gene. A second surgery may be required in 10 to 15 percent of cases, because of subsequent damage to the meniscus (a crescent-shaped cartilage located between the femur and tibia in the stifle). Regardless of surgical technique, the success rate generally is better than 85 percent.
It is an established fact that rupture of the cruciate ligament results in progressive degenerative changes within and around the joint and predisposes the contralateral joint to similar injury. It is for these reasons that the majority of veterinary surgeons agree that surgical correction of CCL rupture is preferable to conservative medical therapy and enforced rest alone. While some studies have indicated that dogs weighing less than 15kg can achieve at least good function without surgical intervention, these same studies conclude that if restoration of limb function and a normal activity level is desired, then surgical intervention is still warranted even in these smaller patients. With regard to partial rupture of the CCL, spontaneous healing of the torn fragment and/or restoration of full stability does not seem to occur, given the protracted clinical course seen in the majority of cases. If partial rupture is due to ongoing immune mediated mechanisms or other degenerative changes rather than trauma, it would seem reasonable to assume that the remaining intact portion is similarly affected and would eventually fail.
Background The cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) in dogs is the same ligament that is referred to as the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in people. (Although properly called the CCL you may see it called the ACL in some articles. ) Dogs have similar anatomy to humans with their front legs (like our arms) having wrists, elbows, and shoulders and their back legs (like our legs) having ankles, knees, and hips. Inside the knee there are two ligaments that cross each other to make an "X". These are the cranial and caudal cruciate ligaments. Injuries to the cranial cruciate ligament are exceedingly common in dogs, and with the occasional exception of some toy breeds, these injuries should be treated surgically. Two other important structures in the knee are the medial and lateral meniscus. Injury to the back part of the medial meniscus is commonly seen with CCL injuries and is treated at the same time as part of the CCL repair procedure. Symptoms A dog that has completely torn its CCL will initially hold up the injured leg and not bear any weight on it for several days.
Story at-a-glance - Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) disease is a common problem in large dogs, especially certain breeds. The condition is rarely seen in cats Read the Full Article for Free! Daily Newsletter Weekly Newsletter (Every Monday) You can unsubscribe at any time and I guarantee the privacy of your email. View our privacy policy Subscribe for Free to the Mercola Healthy Pets Newsletter or Login for Instant Access Unlock censored pet health information that Google doesn't want you to read Keep your privacy secure — we will soon be blocking our content from Google search to ensure your privacy stays protected Get access to all of Dr. Becker's health articles, E-books and special reports