In responding to questions about types of surgeries to repair torn cranial cruciate ligaments in canines, I’ve come across 3 main types which have been previously discussed on other posts. I just heard from someone who had been looking for information on External Capsular Fixation but was unable to come up with any results, so I thought I’d try to offer a little bit of help.

My first thought was that there was simply a misunderstanding between the patient and the veterinarian. External would imply that there wouldn’t be need for surgery, possibly just a brace or stabilizer that would be worn by the dog. After doing a little bit more research, I am pretty sure that this person meant Extracapsular rather than External Capsular. If that is the case, then that opens up the door for the very common Extracapsular Imbrication surgery (also known as the Lateral Fabellar Technique).

The extracapsular imbrication (fixation) happens to be the type of surgery that we went with for our dog. At the time that we got the surgery, it was the least invasive procedure. The surgery itself requires an incision in the leg that is a few inches long, but when compared to TPLO or TTA, it is far less invasive in that it doesn’t require any cutting of the bone. Since the time that our dog had her surgery, there has been some advancements in CCL surgeries and there is a new technique available called Tightrope Surgery that was developed by veterinarians at the University of Missouri and it actually mimics some of the procedures that are performed in human ankles. It is still a relatively new procedure, so it may not be widely available yet, but it is said to have great benefits.

If you happened to find this page while searching for External Capsular Fixation, and there actually is a procedure other than what I mentioned above, I’d love to hear about it. Please leave a comment below.

Related Posts

• Cost of Dog Knee Surgery – Are There Options to Reduce the Cost?
• Lateral Fabellar Technique (Extracapsular Technique) – Cranial Cruciate Ligament Repair
• Dog Knee Surgery Costs – Cost of Repairing a Torn Dog Knee Ligament
• Tightrope Surgery in the Treatment of a Dogs Torn Cranial Cruciate Ligament
• Cost of TTA Surgery for Cranial Cruciate Ligament – Cost of Knee Surgery for Dogs