ANTERIOR CRUCIATE RUPTURE


The knee joint is designed to allow movement of the lower leg. The bone of the upper leg (femur) is connected to the lower leg (tibia) by ligaments and tendons. A ligament is a tough "rope-like" structure inside the joint.

When a ligament such as the anterior cruciate ruptures abnormal movement in the joint occurs. In the knees, the femur (thigh bone) slides back and forth over the tibia (shin bone). This causes considerable pain and often causes a tear in the protective cartilage. Without medical / surgical attention this abnormal wear and tear will lead to arthritis and chronic discomfort.

Depending on the severity of the rupture, your pet's age and activity level the recommended treatment may consist of rest and medication or actual surgical repair. The doctor will give you the pros and cons of both treatment approaches and help you make the correct decision for your pet.

If surgery is recommended, it may consist of the following:

  1. Removal of the damaged cartilage
  2. Replacement of the torn ligament
  3. Tightening of the joint tissue to help prevent abnormal movement
  4. Post Operative Care


    1. Exercise: 
      Restrict your pet's activity for as long as your veterinarian recommends. Do not let your pet run unrestrained. On-leash walking is the only activity permitted outside the home. Prevent jumping whenever possible. Begin increasing exercise gradually the period of restriction. 
    2. Diet: 
      Ordinarily no special diet is required for healing. If your pet is overweight, weight reduction can speed recovery and possibly prevent further injury.
    3. Care of the splint/bandage: 
      Certain surgical corrections require use of a splint or bandage for 1-6 weeks after surgery. If your pet has a splint or bandage, extra care is needed to protect it. Do not let the apparatus become wet. In damp weather, place plastic bag over it when you walk your pet. Do not allow unrestrained exercise. Your vet will assist you in determining how long your pet needs to remain bandaged. 
    4. Incision: 
      Check the incision daily and report any abnormalities to your veterinarian's office. Your pet will be evaluated for suture removal in 10 days. 
    5. Medication:
      If your pet is to have surgery for repairing the torn ligament, s/he should be taken off of any cortisone (itching medication) until further recommended. This medication may slow or impair the healing process of the surgical site. 
Even after surgery recovery may take weeks to months. People go through extensive physical therapy to assist recovery. This is just not practical for our pets. Due to the nature of the injury some degree of arthritis is inevitable. Therefore, the joint will rarely be "good as new", but should be appreciably better.

Remember, rupture of the knee ligaments occurs most frequently in overweight dogs. Because of this the problem could occur in the other leg at a later time. Weight reduction is critical !!
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