TPLO for Partial or Full Canine ACL Tear

The Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) is considered the best repair option for canine cranial cruciate ligament (ACL) tears by the majority of board certified veterinary surgeons. In fact it has been considered the gold standard for nearly two decades. TPLO is arguably the most frequently performed small animal orthopedic procedure in history.

In 1978 Dr Barclay Slocum, an American veterinary surgeon, took a new look at the mechanics of the canine knee. His investigations showed that when the hind limb is used, because the Achilles tendon is of a fixed length, all forces of the foot are transmitted through the tibia. Because the tibial plateau is sloped, part of this force will be transmitted in a forward (anterior) direction. This force he called 'Cranial Tibial Thrust'. The only passive restraint to this force is the anterior cruciate ligament and it is this force that causes the rupture. 

In 1993, Dr. Slocum patented the TPLO in Eugene, Oregon for his patients, in hopes of better and more functional outcomes following canine ACL tears. Surgeons in the western United States saw his results and its reputation for success grew, becoming the treatment of choice worldwide. 

In this TPLO section we explore the rationale behind the TPLO, how the TPLO works in dogs, healing from TPLO, recovery and results following TPLO and common misconceptions about TPLO.