TTA surgery in dogs is one of the "standard of care" surgeries performed to help dogs who have suffered cranial cruciate ligament injury.
At The Hometown Veterinarian, we commonly perform TTA surgery in dogs with torn CCL and achieve excellent results.
What is TTA surgery in dogs?
Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA) is one of several osteotomy-based techniques used to treat cranial cruciate ligament injury in dogs. In an osteotomy, the veterinary surgeon cuts the bone in a way to change the dogs anatomy so that the injured ligament is no longer a necessary part of the knee. The ligament itself is not repaired, it is simply no longer part of the support structure.
A specialized bone saw is used to cut along the front of the tibia bone at the area most of us refer to as the shin. This part of the bone is called the tibial tuberosity. The cut portion of the bone is advanced forward and then held in place with an implant called a cage, a bone plate, and screws.
How does a TTA surgery in dogs work?
By changing the anatomy, the forces involved in walking and running are no longer pushing the tibia forward, but rather allowing the knee joint to function as a hinge again.
Is TTA surgery in dogs best?
Any of the osteotomy procedures are better than trying to replace the torn ligament with an artificial implant because those implants will eventually break and a second surgery may be necessary. In the case of TTA, once healed, the bone is solid and the new shape of the dog's bone is the correction. The CCL ligament is no longer needed in that leg.
Full recovery is also actually generally quicker than the suture-based techniques
Is TTA better than TPLO?
Both TTA and TPLO are excellent procedures that produce positive outcomes. In most cases, very good results can be achieved with either procedure but there are certain dogs whose bone structure could make one or the other better for that dog. Our veterinarians can determine which procedure is best for an individual animal.