TPLO 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 TPLO surgery in dogs with torn CCL and achieve excellent results.
What is TPLO surgery in dogs?
Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) 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 make a curving cut at the "top" of the tibia (the bone immediately past the knee joint). The top of the tibia is rotated and then secured in place with a specialized bone plate and screws. To add additional security, at The Hometown Veterinarian, we use locking titanium implants which resist movement and infection.
How does a TPLO 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 TPLO surgery in dogs best?
Any of the osteotomy procedures are far better than trying to replace the torn ligament with an artificial implant because those implants will eventually break and require additional surgery. In the case of TPLO, when 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 TPLO better than TTA?
Both TPLO and TTA 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.