Cranial Cruciate Rupture

The first report of a cranial cruciate ligament rupture in the dog was in 1926, but it was not until the 1950s that the first report of surgical correction was described. Since then, numerous surgical techniques for repair of the cranial cruciate-deficient knee have been reported in the literature.(1) Selection of a technique for repair of the cranial cruciate- deficient knee should be based upon numerous criteria including size, age, and function of the dog, chronicity of the injury and surgeon preference. Repair techniques are classified as extra-articular and intra-articular. Extra-articular repairs are those that stabilize the joint from outside of the joint capsule and include fascia lata imbrication, lateral retinacular imbrication (DeAngelis suture), and fibular head transposition. Intra-articular techniques use some sort of graft material to anatomically replace the cranial cruciate ligament

All surgical procedures for CCL instability begin with a thorough exploration of the stifle joint through a lateral parapatellar approach. All intra-articular structures are examined. The most common injury coexisting with a CCL rupture is a tear in the caudal horn of the medial meniscus (discussed later). The caudal cruciate ligament (CaCL) and collateral ligaments are also examined, as well as the tendons of the long digital extensor and popliteus. The remaining stumps of the ruptured CCL and any remaining intact CCL are removed. It is assumed that the remaining intact CCL either is damaged or will become completely ruptured if left. If the caudal horn of the medial meniscus is damaged, only the damaged portion is removed.
*Information found at Vin.Com

Anterior Cruciate Ligament

ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) surgery in dogs is a commonly done surgical procedure in veterinary practice. When the anterior cruciate ligament is torn or stretched, instead of moving like a hinge, the knee joint will actually make a sliding motion. This Healthy, strong dogs can tear an ACL...abnormal motion and instability creates trauma within the joint that leads to wearing of cartilage, increased synovial fluid production and inflammation. Eventually, DJD... degenerative joint disease... results.

A torn cruciate ligament can occur in any dog if just the right (or wrong!) forces impact the knee joint. Most commonly seen in larger breeds of dogs and in dogs that are overweight, the ACL surgical procedure does not actually repair the torn ligament but rather replaces the ligament with artificial material that takes over the function of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament. In the case presented below, nylon strands of 80 pound tensile strength are utilized to restabilize the kneeA radiograph of a normal knee... (stifle) joint.

The veterinarian may tell the dog's owners that the dog has a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament and one of the best ways to get him back to full function would be to do a surgical procedure where an artificial ligament is placed along the side of the knee joint; we don't try to fix the torn ligament because that particular one just won't heal properly. So we fool the knee into thinking that there is a ligament. After a few weeks of confinement, and then controlled activity, the fibrous connective tissue buildup along the artificial strands implanted along the knee joint stabilize the joint during activity. Then your dog can begin using the leg properly.
*Information found at ThePetCenter.Com