I am wondering if anyone has had any experience with Cranial Crutiate Ligament Disease which is a degenerative condition that can be helped with TPLO Surgery?

Anyone with experience, I'd like to hear from. Thanks!

I had a girl last year that injured herself. She had full TPLO surgery. She made a full, complete recovery and is fine today. My suggestion of course is ensure you are working with a good Orthopedic, no doubt you are. Recovery is long, crate all day, walking on leash only and its hard because they hate it. But worth it all. Hopefully this wont happen again to another, if it did, I would do the full TPLO in a heart beat. Good luck!!!

Follow up: My girl had an injury, she tore her Crutiate but did not have Cranial Crutiate Ligament Disease. Just wanted to make that clear.

I have a feeling that I am going to (and am) finding more experience with those who have had ligament tears or ruptures.

This is not that.

CCLs can become ruptured or partially ruptured in many ways. I think the term "disease" comes into play when the partial rupture degenerates. That is how I interpreted the articles after searching on CCL "disease". I would question these injuries to be an inherited or genetic condition. I realize there are new studies to determine if HD can be genetically tested within a dog's pedigree, but have not heard anything likewise being done for cruciate tearing heritability.

Some animals are more prone to this injury because of their structure. A tear can happen to any animal. It will continue to tear, until the final rupture. Usually arthritic changes occur. I would suggest another opinion of a veterinary orthopedist.

And yes, TPLO surgery is one of the preferred methods of ligament repair, depending upon the type and severity of the injured area.

From my personal experience, I have owned two Labs who ruptured both knees, from different lines. One had correct and balanced front and rear angulation and good turn of stifle. The other was more straight in the stifle, but had a well angulated front assembly.

At any rate, TPLO surgery is a good method of stablilizing the knee. Hope this helps.

wow, excellent information. Thanks. I was not even the OP.

I have just returned from seeing the ortho vet at Michigan State. My dog does not have a tear...but a degenerating condition called CCLD...where the ligament is degenerating but is not actually torn or ruptured at this point.

As I have already found, there is way more information out there on ruptures and tears...and no so much the degeneration...

Will continue my search.

Hope your dog gets better...
I had a young girl who ruptured her CCL during hunt training. Had a TPLO and is better than ever...but it does alter gait, so it ended her show career!

But she's happy, active, and could be working (if i were a hunter...)

thank you to my Ortho Vet!!!

gcb, md

I am sure you have seen many of these, from a Google search:

http://www.google.com/search?q=+cranial+cruciate+ligament+deficiency&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GFRD

It looks like there are studies narrowed down to primary breeds that continuously suffer these types of injuries.

If you learn anything more, send the links. Looks similar to the CHD genetic work trying to determine the rate of the conditions in certain colonies or pedigrees of dogs.

I might try a Google Scholar search also.

Is anyone else concerned that TPLO is so common?

My son is a veterinarian and when my then 11 year old Akita tore her cruciate, he did not hesitate to repair it with fishing line.

She is 17 now and since the recoup, she has never had a lame day.

The TPLO is so very invasive, what if it doesn't work? Please investigate all options before proceding with TPLO.

I have experience with TPLO. No matter what the cause, accident vs degenerative, my girl has fully recovered , happy and healthy. I would definitely recommend TPLO.