Why did my dogs anterior cruciate ligament tear?
The top of the tibia is the tibial plateau. During weight bearing, the tendency of the femur is to slide down the tibial plateau. The CCL stops this downward slide, and therefore, is under constant tension during weight bearing. This bio mechanical stress on the ligament leads it to fray and eventually tear or rupture. Less commonly the ligament may be torn due to an injury to the leg. My dog was fine and then suddenly couldn’t walk on one of the back legs. Is this common with tears of the anterior cruciate ligament? Affected dogs typically become suddenly lame on one rear limb to the point that they can hardly bear weight on it. Some of these pets may have a history of milder lameness in the same limb that seemed to come and go before this sudden worsening of symptoms. Why is surgery required and what if I don’t do surgery? Inflammatory factors released from the torn ligament and instability from loss of a functioning CCL can lead to arthritis developing quickly within the joint. Also
