Hi Laurie!
I have a bit of a weird case right now and was wondering if you could give me a general opinion. I have a 10 year old mixed breed lab that had a TTA surgery 2 years ago and has been limping ever since. I had recommended referral to a boarded surgeon for a second opinion on the original surgery. It turns out that the original surgery never should have been performed - the dog actually has a caudal cruciate ligament tear, not a cranial cruciate ligament tear. This week, the surgeon removed all the TTA hardware and placed pins in the tibia to hold the bone together where the TTA hardware was removed. The surgeon said that now our job is to rehab the dog for the caudal cruciate ligament tear. To me, this means overall strengthening of the leg (she has muscle wasting in that leg from limping for two years), but I was also thinking that with a caudal cruciate ligament tear, the focus should be on strengthening the quadriceps, because those muscles will play a large role in keeping the tibia from sliding backward in regard to the femur. Would you be focusing on the quads or something else? Have you seen a case like this?
Thanks!
L
Caudal cruciate ligament case
Re: Caudal cruciate ligament case
Hi L,
Well, what a disappointment for this poor dog!!!
Okay… I would say, don’t over think it. Just strengthen the leg. No matter what, it will always be quads and glutes that take the hit. Hamstrings are harder to train for with specific exercises… BUT, in the canine world, it doesn’t matter really. You can’t ask a dog to do hamstring curls, or knee extensions. Everything they do involves the whole leg, which is fabulous!!!
I’ve rehabbed just a handful of caudal cruciate tears, and I think the other therapists at my clinic have seen a handful. Not many. Just strengthen the legs the way you would with any stifle injury.
Isometrics. Concentrics. Eccentrics. Then Plyometrics. Think Function versus isolated muscle targeting.
I’d also look for compensations from being lame so long (trigger points in quads, sartorius, TFL), tighter iliopsoas, SIJ or lumbar spine pain… and of course prolonged non-use (which will cause a mental issue with not using the leg)… that part will be the hardest battle.
Best of luck… Just strengthen the whole darn leg!
Cheers,
Laurie
Well, what a disappointment for this poor dog!!!
Okay… I would say, don’t over think it. Just strengthen the leg. No matter what, it will always be quads and glutes that take the hit. Hamstrings are harder to train for with specific exercises… BUT, in the canine world, it doesn’t matter really. You can’t ask a dog to do hamstring curls, or knee extensions. Everything they do involves the whole leg, which is fabulous!!!
I’ve rehabbed just a handful of caudal cruciate tears, and I think the other therapists at my clinic have seen a handful. Not many. Just strengthen the legs the way you would with any stifle injury.
Isometrics. Concentrics. Eccentrics. Then Plyometrics. Think Function versus isolated muscle targeting.
I’d also look for compensations from being lame so long (trigger points in quads, sartorius, TFL), tighter iliopsoas, SIJ or lumbar spine pain… and of course prolonged non-use (which will cause a mental issue with not using the leg)… that part will be the hardest battle.
Best of luck… Just strengthen the whole darn leg!
Cheers,
Laurie
LAURIE EDGE-HUGHES