How Does Tibial Tuberosity Advancement Provide the Best Orthopedic Care For the Dogs?

What is the first thing that crosses your mind when you hear the word "dog"?

Frisky, energetic, and playful.

Indeed these qualities make compassionate dogs our companions. You will always come across active and playful dogs in the park. All the time busy playing, chasing, and moving around their pet-parents.

Unfortunately, we often observe a sudden change in their walking patterns like lopsided, abnormal, or limping gait. Observing their abnormal gait patterns is important since the furry pals cannot express or share their orthopedic pain.

So do you know that Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) injury is one of the prime reasons for lameness in the rear legs of dogs? Yes, so let us dig a bit deeper into this.

What is Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) In Dogs?

The main purpose of the cruciate ligament is to attach the back of the femur (Thighbone) to the front portion of the lower bone, i.e., tibia ( shin bone). In addition, it controls the back and forth motion of the knee joint. Thus, overall it provides stability to the weight-bearing joints.

Therefore, when the CCL gets ruptured, the femur moves backward, and the tibia moves forward. Hence it results in partial dislocation because the crucial ligament fails to hold the bones together.

Thus, it leads to osteoarthritis and bone spurs in the knee joints. Both are extremely painful events and require immediate surgery to relieve the dogs suffering. Hence, the torn cruciate ligament is one of the common orthopedic injuries in dogs.

Causes Of An Injured Cranial Cruciate Ligament

It is important to note that CCL degeneration in dogs is a slow process rather than sudden trauma or accident. So let us take a look at the following factors that result in the ruptured CCL:

• Obesity
• Genetics
• Hormonal imbalance
• Inflammatory diseases
• Breakdown of cartilage
• Meniscus damage

Hence, the cranial cruciate ligament degenerates slowly over time rather than a sudden jerk or slipping. Therefore, it is very important to closely monitor any walking abnormality in your dogs because statistically, there are 40% chances that the other knee will also have the same problem.

What is Tibial Tuberosity Advancement?

It is an osteotomy procedure that involves the cutting of the tibia bone. It changes the bone anatomy and how the forces act on the knee. Then, the titanium implant is placed in the incised region of the tibia bone. So when the CCL is removed, the patellar ligament will connect with the quadriceps: a key player in stabilizing the knee. Certainly, it is the best way to treat the ruptured cranial cruciate ligament (CCL). It stabilizes the knee joint and prevents the tibia from moving forward about the femur.

What Is The Difference Between Tta And Tplo?

Both are widely used to treat the injured CCL in dogs. The titanium implant is used in the TTA procedure, whereas the metal implant is used in Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy (TPLO). But the TTA is preferred over the TPLO because it is less invasive, prevents soft tissue dissection, and cuts the bone from the less weight-bearing portion. Moreover, the TTA procedure rapidly resolves the lameness in the dogs.

What Are The Common Complications Associated With Tta?

Postoperative compilations in the TTA procedure are the same as in the TPLO. However, the minor complications in TTA like bruising, swelling, and redness gradually disappear, whereas the major complications have a very rare chance to occur like implant, plates, and screws breakage. For swift healing, the complications are treated with antibiotics, and an X-Ray is performed at the end for final recovery.

In a nutshell, the TTA is the long-term solution for the torn cranial cruciate ligament. Once the healing is complete, it hardly shows the signs again. It is important to note that TTA is the last resort when all other physical treatments have failed to solve the dog's abnormal walking pattern.