Like the cranial drawer it is present when the cruciate ligament is abnormal. The TPLO attempts to neutralize these forces by turning tibial thrust into tibial compression. Prior to surgery multiple radiographs of the stifle are taken to determine the angle of the tibia plateau. This angle dictates how much the plateau angle must be shifted in order to achieve tibial thrust neutralization. Using special instruments, a tibial osteotomy is performed and the tibial plateau segment rotated.
Postoperative care is similar to that of traditional repair techniques.
The TPLO has a number of advantages over traditional cranial cruciate ligament repair techniques. No other procedure to date can claim this. This is significant since even dogs with surgically treated RCCL may develop debilitating arthritis. Many surgeons who have used more traditional techniques for years have begun doing TPLOs and are impressed with the results. Dr. Slocum reports numerous high-profile success stories including patients winning championship field trials and The Iditarod.