ACL (CCL) Injuries in Dogs: Causes & Prevention
Dog Breeds
Introduction
The one area that owners should focus on to prevent ACl (CCL) injuries is their dog’s conditioning. The dogs most at risk for this injury are those with poor conditioning or even suffering from obesity.
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Causes of ACL/CCL Injuries in Dogs
The stifle joint is vulnerable to injury because it has no interlocking bones to provide structural support. Instead, a dog’s stifle depends upon a meshwork of ligaments and muscles for stability. The cranial cruciate ligament provides most of this support and, when partially torn or completely ruptured, leaves only the muscles and soft tissues surrounding the knee to hold the joint in place. Damage to the CCL can occur from acute trauma or from chronic repetitive injury. Most acute (sudden) injuries in dogs happen during strenuous or exuberant athletic activities such as romping, running, hunting, chasing or jumping. Owners commonly report that their dog stumbled, yelped and then held up a rear leg at an exaggerated angle. Chronic damage can be caused by poor neuromuscular coordination, conformational abnormalities and poor muscle tone from inactivity or otherwise. Obesity certainly can contribute to chronic ligament damage as well, at it increases the stress and weight on the stifle joint.
Prevention
There is no reliable way to prevent stifle damage in active dogs. As in humans, the knee (stifle) joint in dogs is extremely vulnerable to injury because it has no interlocking bones to provide support or stability. A dog’s stifle joint depends upon ligaments for stability. The cranial cruciate ligament provides most of this support and, when torn or ruptured, causes the most common hindlimb lameness in companion dogs.
Conditioning is the Key to Preventing CCL Injuries
Dogs who are in poor physical condition and/or who are obese are at the greatest risk for suffering from damaged cruciate ligaments. Owners should focus on improving their dog’s physical conditioning. Obviously, dogs with healthy and strong muscles around their stifle/knee joints will be better suited to avoid CCL injuries. Well-conditioned dogs will have their stifles protected from outside stressors by strong surrounding muscles and ligaments. Owners should also keep their dogs on a healthy diet and give them regular exercise.
Another potential cause of CCL damage is when a dog that has been relatively inactive is suddenly exposed to intense physical activity. As with any athlete, a dog needs time to strengthen his or her muscles before beginning or returning to a rigorous exercise regimen. Owners who are anxious to get their pet moving after a long loafing winter should be careful during the spring months so that they don’t overtax their dog, which could contribute to stifle damage.
Special Notes
Dogs with cruciate ligament injuries in both hind legs can look like they have a neurological disorder, because they typically rise and move with an unusual, uncoordinated gait. Bilateral lameness can be difficult to diagnose. Most veterinarians will want to perform a thorough neurological examination in addition to an orthopedic examination when evaluating a dog with sudden onset of strange or abnormal rear end locomotion.
A common adjunct of injuries to cruciate ligaments is a condition called lymphoplasmacytic synovitis. Many experts think that the dog’s immune system initiates an inflammatory reaction directed against the collagen of the torn ligament after a CCL injury. Another theory is that lymphplasmacytic synovitis occurs first – causing stifle joint laxity, weakness and instability which in turn predisposes the dog to subsequent cranial cruciate ligament injury. The actual relationship between CCL damage and the immune-mediated inflammatory reaction that often accompanies, precedes or shortly follows those injuries is still the subject of some debate.
Care and Recovery