Learn about ACL

The knee of a dog is a joint that is formed by three bones:

The first is the Femur (the long bone extending down from the hip)
Next, the Tibia (the bone between the knee and ankle)
and finally the Patella (the kneecap).

These three bones are connected together by a number of ligaments, which are very strong fibrous bands of tissue - ligaments become bone where they attach. Two of these ligaments cross in the knee joint from the femur to the tibia and are called cruciate ligaments (cruciate means to cross). The one near the front of the leg is called the anterior cruciate ligament and the one crossing to the rear is the posterior cruciate ligament. These two ligaments prevent the ends of the femur and tibia from moving back and forth across each other.

When a cranial cruciate ligament is torn, it causes sudden extreme pain and results in the dog holding its leg up. It also causes an instability in the knee joint. The dog may put the leg down and start using it within a day or so, but will continue to limp for several weeks. Normally, at the end of several weeks, the initial pain subsides and the dog is willing to use its leg more, but the joint remains unstable. Every time the dog puts weight on the leg, the tibia (shin bone) slides forward in relationship to the femur (thigh bone). This abnormal motion causes wear and tear on the joint cartilage, causing pain and leading to arthritis. This motion can also put excessive stress on the menisci (C shaped pieces of cartilage within the knee joint), causing tearing and or damage.

Surgery is the treatment of choice for this injury. If surgery is not performed, arthritis will occur and the lameness will worsen with time.

Our support kits below are an excellent way to support this condition before and especially after surgery!