Etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy of dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture

Cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs - if not due to direct trauma - is considered to be a multifactorial disease based on degenerative joint disease. At present, controversial opinions exist with respect to the therapy of choice. Extra-capsular techniques (imbrication techniques, lateral fabella suture) are used in the majority of cases, although osteotomies (e.g. tibial plateau leveling osteotomy, proximal tibial osteotomy, and tibial tuberosity advancement) are being used with increasing incidence in large dogs to eliminate the cranial tibial shear forces. The treatment of meniscal injury in conjunction with a damaged cranial cruciate ligament is also being discussed controversially (partial versus total menisectomy) as is meniscal release when the meniscus is intact.