CCL Tears with Dr. Mary Ann Nieves

Your dog is an athlete. You ask him to perform feats of athleticism on a daily basis whether you realize it or not: jumping into the back of your SUV from a stance, sprinting across the field for a ball, hiking up that steep trail, or running beside you for your morning jog.  And then there’s the “squirrel’s revenge!” Yes, your dog always sees that squirrel taunting them as you open the door and takes off like a shot, leaping over the stairs, only to come to a dead stop at the base of the tree. Can you imagine if you did this upon waking in the morning? You might think you’d injure your knee and that is exactly what happens to your best friend. He suddenly comes up lame in the hind leg. It doesn’t get better so you take him to the vet and sure enough, he’s torn his cranial cruciate ligament or CCL (ACL for us humans).  Then you find out, it doesn’t heal on its own so your vet recommends surgery! Believe it or not, this scenario plays out all the time because tearing the cranial cruciate ligament is THE most common orthopedic diagnosis seen by veterinary surgeons. 

Listen as we talk with Mary Ann Nieves, DVM, MS, DACVS, about everything cranial cruciate ligament:

• Anatomy of the dog’s knee and why does slope matter?
• The function of the CCL and why it’s so important?
• The complicated and multifactorial reasons that lead to CCL tears.
• Does this injury happens in all species, even our cat friends? 
• Can we do anything to prevent these injuries?
• Surgery vs. conservative management: pros and cons.
• What is a TPLO, TTA, and lateral suture?
• Arthritis and chronic pain after a CCL tear, especially if no surgery is performed.
• What is the role of prehab and rehab for CCL injuries?

Find Dr. Nieves at Blue Pearl Pet Hospital.

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