Dr. Alyssa Cornelius has advanced training in cranial cruciate ligament repair by the TTA technique as well as luxating patella repairs.
Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA)
The TTA surgery is an advanced technique for repair of the torn cranial cruciate ligament (CCL – the same as the ACL in humans). Rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament is the most common orthopedic injury of dogs of all breeds and especially large breeds (Labradors, rottweilers, etc).
The knee (stifle joint) of the dog is similar to a human’s knee. Located inside the joint of the knee is the cranial cruciate ligament, which is responsible for maintaining stability of the joint, preventing backward sliding of the femur on the tibia. When the ligament ruptures, the joint becomes unstable. This causes debilitating long-term lameness and accelerated formation of degenerative joint disease or arthritis. We see this problem in all breeds, large and small, of all ages. TTA is the technique of choice for large, active dogs because it results in a faster return to normal function, better range of motion and less arthritis in the joint later in life than the standard extracapsular technique. In fact, most dogs are weight bearing when they walk out of the hospital after surgery.
TTA Surgical Preparation
Your pet will receive the same pre-surgical preparation, diagnostics, pain management and careful monitoring that we perform for all of our surgical patients. Radiographs (x-rays) will be taken of the knee for pre-surgical planning and the hips checked for arthritis and dysplasia by Dr. Cornelius prior to the surgery.
TTA Recovery
Upon discharge from the hospital, you will be given detailed instructions regarding post-surgical care at home. Pain medications +/- sedatives, to keep your pet calm during recovery, will be dispensed. It is important to follow the strict guidelines for post-surgical care for optimum healing. Your pet’s activities will need to be restricted while the bone heals, which takes at least 8 weeks. We will schedule post-operative rechecks of the incision for 2 weeks after discharge and then radiographs in 6-8 weeks to assess healing of the bone.