What is the Cranial Cruciate Ligament?
The Cranial Cruciate Ligament, also sometimes called the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, is a tough band of tissue that connects the two main bones of the knee (stifle) joint. Specifically, the upper part of the joint is called the Femur and the lower part of the joint is called the Tibia. The Cranial Cruciate Ligament connects the posterior (rear area) of the lower Femur, to the anterior (front area) of the Tibia. This ligament helps prevent excessive motion between these two bones. Rupture of this ligament is the most common orthopedic injury in dogs and results in a painful, unstable joint. If left untreated, this injury leads to degenerative joint disease (arthritis). 2. Why did my dog rupture this ligament? Although this is the most common orthopedic injury in dogs, it is still not completely understood why this ligament ruptures. Many theories have been proposed. Certainly, trauma can cause the ligament to rupture – this is the most common reason for ligament rupture in humans. In do
