Cooper had a cranial cruciate ligament tear in his left leg. He had a TPLO which stands for tibial plateau leveling osteotomy. It's a surgical procedure that makes a change to the biomechanics of the knee to reduce pain and instability. The vet consulted with us for a half an hour and outlined the procedure. His practice is the only one in AZ doing this procedure.
We were able to watch the surgery from home via the Internet. The operation took 3 hours. During surgery, a curved cut is made near the top of the tibia (shin bone). The top of the bone is then rotated to eliminate the slope on the top of the tibia (this is where the "leveling" comes from).
A plate is applied to hold the tibia in this position while the bone heals. The threads on the head of the locking screw mate with the threads in the plate hole to form a rigid, fixed-angle construct.
This procedure allows less friction between the construct and the bone and is intended to preserve blood supply and promote faster healing.
Cooper is a bit funny looking right now. He is not putting much weight on his leg but that should get better each day. He is on an antibiotic for 5 days and a pain medication for a month. We have 50 days before they x-ray to see how the bone is healing.
He can only go on short leash "elimination" walks for 6-8 weeks…….ugh! He is unhappy about being left behind when Argo goes off for a run.
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