Cruciate Injuries in DogsKatrina Skuce2025-06-13T15:35:32+00:00
Cruciate injuries and repairs
Cruciate rupture or injury is by far the most common hind leg lameness issue in dogs. It is also our most common orthopaedic repair. The links below are very useful and explain the condition and surgery very well
Please note that Flynn Vets is not affiliated with Fitzpatrick Referrals.
At Flynnvets in Belfast and Ballynahinch, Northern Ireland, our orthopaedic surgeon Dan Flynn has repaired cruciate ruptures in a number of different ways over the years. We are constantly trying to improve surgery techniques to get the best recovery and long term outcome for our patients.
What are the main types of dog cruciate ligament surgery?
The main types of surgery used for repair of cruciate ligaments are:
Lateral Suture technique – no longer used at Flynn Vets
Modified Maquet procedure (MMP) – no longer used at Flynn Vets
Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA) – Very occasionally used
Cranial Closing Wedge Osteotomy (CCWO) – (usually mainly in dogs of 3kg-10kg)
Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) – (used for dogs of 10kg-80kg)
What type of dog cruciate ligament surgery do we use?
We have progressed through all of these techniques over the past decade and now use the TPLO as our first option, except for very small dogs where the CCWO remains our procedure of choice.
The video (right) is Pippa who is 3.5 kgs and 9 years old. It shows her 7 days after we did a CCWO on her right hind leg. Her recovery is amazing, especially considering this is her second operation – she had her left leg repaired just 3 months earlier. When we see how well they do post surgery we have no hesitation in recommending the procedure, even in older dogs.
We use Securos Surgical PAX Polyaxial Locking Plates System for our implants: this is new technology in orthopaedics and provides more robust security in screw placement, leading to reduced complications and improved outcomes.
As our complication rates for these surgeries are so low, we are happy to offer a fixed price for TPLO surgery, as set out below.
Pippa - day 7 after surgery
How do we diagnose cruciate ruptures?
We use a combination of physical examination and manipulation of the knee joint and X-ray imaging to diagnose this problem. This video show our vet, Dan, at our Belfast clinic, carrying out a Cranial Drawer test on a sedated dog. Movement within the joint confirms rupture of the cruciate ligament.
