What is the best treatment?
TPLO is considered by many, including both of us, to be the preferred surgical treatment for cranial cruciate ligament disease in dogs.
Between us we have performed thousands of TPLOs over a period of more than 2 decades and made many contributions to the veterinary literature on the subject (see references).
Early TPLO reduces stress on the cranial cruciate ligament in dogs with partial rupture.
Early TPLO has been shown to slow the progression of OA and give the best prognosis for a return to full activity.
Resting dogs with early cruciate disease, with or without the administration of NSAIDs, merely postpones complete rupture of the ligament and allows progression of OA.
How much does a specialist TPLO cost?
Our TPLOs (for dogs <50kg) are priced at £3,800.
Our TPLO price is all-inclusive with no hidden extras or nasty surprises.
Like all of our procedures our TPLOs are covered by a 12 month surgical guarantee.
What are the signs of cruciate disease?
Early signs of ligament degeneration may occur long before there is an obvious cranial draw and may be subtle:
• Transient Lameness After Rest especially After eXercise (LARAX).
• Positive sit test (sitting with the affected leg extending out to the side rather than sitting squarely).
• Medial buttress as a result of medial periarticular fibrosis (nearly always associated with cruciate disease).
• Stifle effusion (cruciate disease is far and away the commonest cause of synovial effusion).
• Resentment to full extension (with the hip joint partially extended).
Is it worth taking X-rays before referral?
If there is an obvious cranial draw X-rays are not necessary prior to referral. We will take our own X-rays for templating before surgery.
In the early stages of ligament degeneration X-rays will show synovial effusion and mild OA. (If you would like help with X-ray interpretation we offer a free no obligation radiograph reporting service).
What about dogs with bilateral cruciate disease?
Just over a third of dogs presenting with cruciate disease will be affected bilaterally.
If there is bilateral disease TPLO can either be performed on each stifle separately, typically staged by 6 to 12 weeks, or in a single session.
We commonly perform single-session bilateral TPLO with no significant increase in the risk of complications.
The cost of our single-session bilateral specialist TPLO for dogs <50kg is £6000.
