Dog Knee Surgery & CCL Ligament Repair » TPLO

Cost of Dog Knee Surgery – Are There Options to Reduce the Cost?

Kenneth — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:24:32 +0000

Dealing with a torn cranial crucial ligament in your dog is never an easy thing, and when you add in the high cost of dog knee surgery, it can become a very stressful situation for both the dog and the dog owner. When you begin to research the type of surgeries available to treat the injury, you’ll find the following primary surgery types which can range anywhere from $750-$3,000 depending on the type of surgery, the size of the dog, etc. Common surgery types used to treat a torn cranial crucial ligament in a dogs knee:

Each of the above types of surgeries is great in its own application, however the size and weight of your dog may disqualify it from receiving one or more of the particular types of surgeries. For instance, a large dog, such as a Rottweiler probably will not be eligible to receive a Traditional knee surgery strictly due to its size and weight. Most vets will probably recommend TPLO or TTA surgery for a dog this size, and unfortunately, TPLO and TTA are two of the more costly surgery types due to the fact that they are more invasive and involve cutting of the bone in the knee joint to create a new angle of the knee joint in order to reduce the amount of stress on both the joint itself and the surrounding ligaments.

Cost Reducing Options

At the end of the day, if your dog needs surgery, there really isn’t a way around it, though I have heard of some dog owners who have just not had the ways or means to cover the cost of dog knee surgery so they simply chose to use conservative management as their way of “treating” the injury. The reason that I put “treating” in quotes is because choosing not to repair a torn knee ligament will leave the knee unstable and it will really reduce the dogs quality of life in most cases – especially if the dog is overweight. Should you elect to avoid the cost of surgery by going the conservative management route, here are some things that may help you:

Limit the dogs activity
This may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many dog owners will just forget about the injury all together after time. The dog may seem to be better, but chances are the injury is still there and the dog has just found a way to cope with it. Make sure you restrict or limit the dogs activity after it suffers a torn cranial cruciate ligament.
Manage the dogs diet
If the dog was overweight when the injury occurred, chances are the weight was a contributing factor in the torn/ruptured knee ligament in the first place. Putting the dog on a weight management diet can drastically improve the dogs quality of life (though many dogs will seem miserable when their food intake is limited) weight loss can definitely help improve mobility and recovery because the knee joint will have less force on it.
Anti-Inflammatory medications
Though this may be an option, it’s not recommended in cases where the dog owner has elected not to get a knee surgery for the dog. Giving anti-inflammatory medication to a dog with an untreated torn knee ligament may give the dog the false sense that the knee is actually better and more stable than it actually is, causing the potential for more injury.

Though most wouldn’t consider not treating a torn knee ligament as a treatment option, it is in fact the only option for some people out there, strictly due to the cost. If you ever find yourself in this circumstance, you could always try to negotiate with your veterinarian – they may be able to work with you on the price.

Knee Ligament and Knee Joint Repair Options for Labrador Retrievers

Kenneth — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:02:11 +0000

Whether you have a black lab, yellow lab or a chocolate lab, you will typically be looking at 1 of 2 knee repair procedures for larger dogs – TPLO or TTA surgery to repair the torn or ruptured cranial cruciate ligament in your dogs knee. The traditional technique (extracapsular technique) typically isn’t used in large breed dogs, such as Black Labrador Retrievers, Yellow Labrador Retrievers or Chocolate Labrador Retrievers due to the added stress on the joint from the extra weight of the dog.

Whichever surgical option you choose to go with, make sure that as the dog owner, you do your due diligence to learn which option will be the best for your particular circumstances.

Read as much information as you can on each type of surgery, and try to talk with people who have had the same surgery. Compare your dogs activity level with the others.
Consult your veterinarian and make sure you fully understand the options available. Ask why (why not) he/she is recommending certain options and not others.
Be prepared to keep your dog confined. Activity levels need to be drastically cut down, and as we all know, Labrador Retrievers are generally very active dogs. Keeping the dog inactive will be crucial to the recovery process.

Image by OakleyOriginals.

Cost of TPLO Surgery – Cost to Repair Torn Cruciate Ligament in Dogs

Kenneth — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:48:55 +0000

Typical TPLO surgeries can cost anywhere in the range of $1,500 to $3,500, though I have heard some people say that they have been quoted all the way up to $4,500 for TPLO surgery. As with other surgical options, TPLO surgery cost can depend on the location that you live in, the size of the dog, the age of the dog etc.

The TPLO surgery procedure is a fairly invasive surgery that actually involves cutting the bone to change the angle at which the knee joint rests. Learn more about cranial cruciate ligament repair through TPLO.

Image by Jim Frazee.

Surgical Options for Torn/Ruptured Cranial Cruciate Ligament (Cranial Crucial Ligament)

Kenneth — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 07:46:42 +0000

When it comes to caring for our pets, we all want the best possible option, however, most veterinarians will have a single method that they prefer to perform, thus leaving you to find another vet if you do not agree with having a specific CCL surgery. Prior to committing your dog to a surgery, you’re going to want to find out what option your veterinarian will perform, the recovery time, what percent of normal activity level will the dog return to when fully recovered, etc. Of all the surgery options, I’d say that any would be better than going without the surgery (see my post on my friend who did not get the surgery for his dog), but in the end, the choice is going to be up to you – the dog owner. Without the surgery, your dog will have an unstable stifle (knee) joint, and will probably show lameness terminally.

Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) Surgery Options

Traditional Repair – Lateral Fabellar Technique
This technique is typically recommended for smaller dogs (we went with this option on our 60lb pit bull). With this technique, a monofilament nylon cord of about 80-100lb tensile strength is passed from the lateral fabella to the tibial crest, in what was explained to me as a figure 8 pattern, basically wrapping the knee joint to eliminate and prevent joint instability (drawer movement). Scar tissue will, over time, develop around the joint, which will further stabilize the joint, but will also begin to restrict range of motion.
Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO)
The TPLO CCL repair technique is generally recommended for larger breeds of dogs, as well as active dogs, such as agility dogs. This technique is also thought to cause less degenerative arthritis around the stifle joing. Key things to note about the TPLO surgery are a quicker recovery time, better range of motion, less arthritis and a return to athletic (working) activity levels. TPLO surgery involves cutting the bone and slightly rotating it before re-attaching it with a plate. By rotating the top of the bone, less pressure is put on the joint.
Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA)
This is a new, less invasive option to the TPLO surgery, but will not be an option for all dogs. Since this surgical option is less invasive, it allows for a quicker recovery time. TTA also puts a cut in the tibial bone, however it shaves off the front of the bone and extends it with a spacer. Also like the TPLO surgery, the TTA option depends on the angle of the stifle joint and is not recommended for dogs with a steep angle in the stifle.
Tightrope Surgery (Tight Rope Surgery) (Updated June, 2009)
Tightrope surgery is a very new procedure that is based on a similar procedure performed in human ankles. It is far less invasive and is performed through small incisions in the skin, and woven through small holes drilled in the bones of the stifle joint. Tightrope surgery is an arthroscopic procedure and thus far seems to have very positive results.

As you can probably tell, each option has advantages and disadvantages, and all options should be discussed with your veterinarian after x-rays are taken of your dogs knee joint.

TPLO – Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy – Cranial Cruciate Ligament Repair

Kenneth — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 22:15:17 +0000

TPLO, or tibial plateau leveling osteotomy, is a common surgery performed on dogs to stabilize the stifle (knee) joint after a tear or rupture in the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) (can be compared to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in humans). Normally, the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) prevents backward-forward movement of the stifle joint. When it tears/ruptures, the stifle joint becomes unstable and the dog suffers lack of mobility, lameness or loss of use and is subject to chronic and progressive arthritis in the stifle if untreated.

In a TPLO procedure, the tibial plateau, the portion of the tibia adjoining the stifle (knee), is cut and rotated so that its slope changes to approximately 5 degrees from the horizontal plane, forever changing the biomechanics of the dogs movement. This prevents the femur from sliding down the slope of the plateau. It is rumored that TPLO surgery generally results in faster recovery times compared to other procedures to stabilize the knee joint. Most dogs (over 90%) are expected to regain a very active and athletic lifestyle with no post-operative complications and without the need for any pain relieving medication.