In our previous blog, we covered how to perform joint stability tests on your dog if you suspect they have injured their cranial cruciate ligament (CCL; equivalent to the ACL in humans).

(In case you missed it, you can review “How can I tell if my dog has a CCL injury?” here)

Now let’s assume your dog was indeed diagnosed with a CCL injury, you brought them to Simon Veterinary Surgical for a Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO), and now you’re curious to see if the surgery did what it was supposed to. In other words, you’d like to know: is the joint stable again? 

Let’s discuss how to interpret what you see during the joint stability tests following a TPLO.  

Tibial Compression Test

The purpose of a TPLO is to stabilize the stifle joint (knee) by changing the angle between the femur and tibia, reducing the amount that the tibia shifts forward during a stride. After this angle is corrected in surgery, you should no longer be able to see this thrust motion.

Cranial Drawer Test

A TPLO will only change the angle of the joint; it will not replace the CCL itself, nor is it necessary. For that reason, you may still notice a drawer motion following a TPLO surgery. HOWEVER, the pain accompanied by a CCL injury is primarily produced by the thrust motion in the joint. THERFORE, it is more important to confirm that the thrust motion has been eliminated, using the tibial compression test above.

Keep in mind that, though the thrust motion has been eliminated, your dog has just undergone a major joint reconstructive surgery and the surgical leg will still be painful while it is healing.

The recovery process will likely that 6+ weeks, during which time you should be following Dr. Simon’s Physical Rehabilitation Schedule.

And of course, don’t forget to bring your pup back for their free recheck appointments and x-rays, so Dr. Simon can monitor your their recovery and make sure everything is healing as it should!