Our 1 year old lab/mix has a torn cruciate ligament.
We were told she needs surgery. The options are extracapsular ligament repair or TPLO. Has any one had any success with a 52 pound year old active lab healing on its own??? If not, any suggestions on which of the two surgeries would be better???

The extracapsular can be done with a new flat tape they have. A TTA Tibial Tubular Advancement is better than the TPLO in post surgical studies. Be careful regarding post surgery therapy and future exercise until that leg is healed- about 6 months- or she will blow the other knee too. Good luck.

Run, do not walk, to your nearest board certified surgeon that does a lot of athletic dogs and get that thing repaired. Wouldn't suggest an extra capsular repair for this young of a dog as it will break down when they hit middle age.

Here's a forum that I found very useful:

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/orthodogs/

Good luck & don't be afraid to get a second or third opinion.

Where do you live?

My first choice would be the TTA, second choice a TPLO. I've had more experience than I ever wanted with cruciate issues, and I'd be happy to answer your questions if you email me privately.

In all likelihood, it will not heal on it's own, and the longer you wait to repair the leg, the more likely the "good" knee is to go.

Before surgery, know what to expect when your dog comes home. Talk to those who have been there. Have a plan. I would recommend getting your dog used to going potty using a sling before the surgery so that it will be that much easier those first difficult post-op days. Plan out remedies for the boredom that your dog will experience. Kongs, marrow bones, Lucky Buck antlers, and similar boredom busters will help.

Find a good physical therapist and, at the very least, have them show you how to correctly perform range of motion exercises. This is so very important!

The first couple days post-op are horrible, but they won't last, and soon you and your dog will settle into a routine and things will get easier.

Good luck, and I honestly don't mind answering questions if you email me.

If you're anywhere in the midwest, I would recommend consulting Dr. Cook at U of Missouri in Columbia. He is doing a new surgery called the Tightrope procedure that is much less invasive. He did a TPLO on one of my bitches 3 years ago - wish they had this procedure back then!

I would make sure growth plates were closed first. Since your dog is only 1 year old it's probably caused by an injury and there is a better chance that the other knee won't go, at least not in the near future.

If the ligament is completely torn there is no stability in the knee and it will not heal on it's own. The extracapsular repair will stabilize the knee so scar tissue can form and that holds the knee together. If the knee isn't stabilized then you will be looking at horrible arthritis in the future.

There isn't any studies that prove that one is better than the other. With this type of injury arthritis is inevitible later on no matter which one you select. I prefer the extracapsular because it's less invasive, less expensive, and if for some reason something goes wrong then a TPLO can be done later, not true in reverse.

Be careful of new techniques, some of them aren't proven yet and there has been problems.

If you are in driving range of Canistota, New York - try Doctor Bookbinder. Great Orthopedic Practice!

My board certified surgeon advised me that a TPLO can be done normally after 10 months of age. The growth plates do not have to be closed to perform the extracapsular repair. My girl had one done at 7 months of age. My experience has been that the extracapsular did not result in as stable of a knee in the end. My girl has one leg done with that procedure and one leg done with TPLO, and the TPLO leg is far more stable. Yes, there are more risks with TPLO and the cost is higher, but, in the end, you are left with something more stable for a young dog to last into old age. With extracapsular, you are relying on scar tissue to provide stability, whereas with the other, more invasive surgeries, you are removing the need for the ligament completely. Once the bone heals back together, the plate isn't even really needed and can be removed, if necessary.

TPLO for sure. We have a girl that is about 55 pounds and is very active. Ortho. surgeon said if we did not do the TPLO we would be re-doing the other option at some point because of her activity level. First leg was done when she was 5. She is now 11 and you would never know she had it done. Second leg went the following year. Still would not know she had anything done.