Ruptured Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL):
Ruptured Cruciate, Ruptured Ligament, Ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)
Affected Animals:
Commonly, dogs and humans; less commonly, cats. Obese animals are at greater risk for suffering this injury. In addition, certain breeds of dogs are more susceptible than others to developing a ruptured cruciate ligament. Most commonly, these breeds include the rottweiler and cocker spaniel. The Labrador retriever, German shepherd, mastiff, golden retriever, miniature and toy poodle, Lhasa apso, and bichon frise are likely to suffer from the problem as well.
Information and Overview:
A normal dog's knee joint works like a hinge, keeping the animal's leg stable when weight is beared. When the knee has a ruptured cruciate ligament, the "hinge" becomes loose and stability is lost. As a result, the dog suffers pain, inflammation, and can develop arthritis very quickly if not mended. This is a very common orthopedic disease in dogs. When a knee injury occurs suddenly - as it usually does among humans who suffer from injuries to the cruciate ligament due to a skiing, football, or other sports-related accident - the ligament will tear rapidly. But usually with dogs, the tearing is partial and occurs gradually, resulting in low-level lameness that may improve initially over time. However, progressive injuries can be quite damaging; because of the trauma to the ligament, the knee joint becomes inflamed, leading to arthritis, which only grows worse with continued weight bearing.
1. Trochlea of femur
2. Tibia
3. Fibula
4. Cranial cruciate ligament
5. Caudal cruciate ligament
6. Lateral meniscus
7. Medial meniscus
In more severe chronic cases, the "shock absorbers" of the knee - quarter-moon shaped sections of cartilage called the meniscus/menisci - tear or become crushed because of exposure to abnormal stress that occurs when the knee is loose. Animals with this condition often are severely lame and may not be able to put any weight on the affected leg. Both surgical and non-surgical methods for treatment are available. Generally, dogs have a good chance of recovering normal, or almost normal, movement after surgery, but the arthritis that has occurred already will not be reversible. Additionally, dogs that have ruptured the cruciate ligament on one side are more likely to tear the ligament in the other knee. Obesity is a major risk factor for this injury and certain breeds of dogs are more likely than others to rupture their ligaments. Thin animals will have an easier recovery and place less stress on already arthritic joints.
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