Heartland Animal Hospital
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 TPLO/ TTA Knee Surgery for Your Dog


 TTA and TPLO are revolutionary new surgeries to repair a torn ACL in dogs.  Dr. Katie is one of only a few Veterinarians in the state of Minnesota to be certified to perform both procedures.   The surgery is done on the inside of the leg where there are fewer msucles and nerve endings resulting in a faster return to use of leg.  Due to the bent-leg stature of most dogs the ACl is under nearly constant strain.  When it tears, the physical force of stepping on the leg causes a grinding motion as the femur slips down the tibial slope.  Innovative veteriarians came up with the idea to flatten the slope to a near perpendicular angle and eliminate the slipping with great success.  Although the surgery is more invasive, return to function is more rapid and fewer long-term complications are seen than any of the extra-capsular techniques in dogs over 60 pounds.

 

TTA stands for Tibial Tuberosity Advancement.  TTA was developed in Switzerland by Dr. Slobodan Tepic in the late 1990's and has only been introduced here in the US for the last 4-5 years.  TTA uses the same concept of leveling the tibial plateau in relation to the dynamic transfer of force through the patellar tendon.  Instead of rotating the bone to flatten the plateau like TPLO, a cut is made on the non-weight bearing front part of the tibia and the patellar tendon is advanced and plated as a wedge at a new angle.  The tibial slope is perpendicular to the patellar tendon in a normal weght bearing stance. Because the cut is made on the non-weight bearing surface of the bone, recovery to walking and full use is 2-3 weeks faster than TPLO.  

 

TPLO stands for Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy.  It was developed by Dr. Barclay Slocum in the early 1990's in Oregon.  TPLO works by making a semi-circular cut in the tiba and rotating the piece backwards by a  pre-determined amount so the tibial slope is perpendicular to the patellar tendon or transfer of weight.  The majority of dogs have a slope of 19- 23°. Goal of TPLO surgery is to reduce the slope to 5-15° degrees. Most dogs are weight bearing within a few days of discharge and are using the leg nearly normal within 8-10 weeks. See more information at: slocumenterprises.com

 


Heartland Animal Hospital
Phone: 507-332-0716 Faribault
Phone: 507-214-PETS (7387) Owatonna
1200 Lyndale Ave N
Faribault , mn 55021