Poor Doofus had ruptured her cranial cruciate ligament in her left hind leg in 2010, so her owners feared the worst when she started to limp on her other hind leg this year. Unfortunately the lameness got worse with time and radiographs confirmed that she was indeed suffering with cruciate trouble in her right back leg.
In 2010, Doofus had had surgery at another practice using a technique called TTA (tibial tuberosity advancement). This technique, developed in Switzerland, started to gain popularity around 10 years ago is now one of the preferred surgical options in veterinary medicine for deficient cruciate ligaments, particularly in big dogs. However, there are certain disadvantages to the surgery. In 2012, a Belgian vet developed a method known as TTA Rapid, which is a more straightforward and faster adaptation, producing a more stable and robust result. The aim of the TTA Rapid procedure is to neutralize the shear forces and restore stability of the stifle joint, without altering its function, shape or structure.
We now offer TTA Rapid here at 387 Vets and so it was this very new procedure that Doofus received. The surgery went perfectly and she has made an excellent recovery. She’s well on the road to using her injured leg normally again and enjoying fun and games around the stables!
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Measurements taken to decide the size of cage required prior to surgery
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In theatre, cutting the bone
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Displacing front of shinbone to insert cage
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Cage screwed into place
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Post-op x-ray. The cage is displacing the front of the shinbone forward to neutralise the pull forces within the stifle joint.
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