Symptoms down blousing can observe the owner is lameness when walking especially after intense exer

The disease of the anterior cruciate ligament in dogs The anterior cruciate ligament predominate in the operation of the knee joint of the dog. The term disease is used to describe a range of disorders that affect this important anatomical aspect of the knee joint. This disease is the most common cause of lameness of the hind limbs of the dog. The anatomical joint is described in the video below.
The first of these occurs mainly in puppies that the skeleton is growing and ligaments typically have greater mechanical strength than the point of the bone to which they are connected. Thus, a violent overload coupling as a fall from a height, may result in detachment of the cruciate point bonded together with a small portion of the femur and tibia frequently. The injuries are treated relatively easily with osteosynthesis techniques and have a good prognosis, down blousing since the link is intact.
Violent traumatic events that may cause overloading of the tip, hyperextension of the knee or excessive internal rotation of the tibia may lead to acute complete rupture of the cruciate ligament.
Despite the strong interest and inquiries made in recent years to determine the pathogenesis of the disease, it still remains unclear. Indicate several factors: the large curvature of the plateau of the tibia, bone deformities, obesity, lack of exercise, etc., but has not so far been sufficiently documented their importance.
There are several epidemiological down blousing studies that determine some high-risk groups. Female dogs are more sensitive, especially the neutered. Several studies and my clinical experiences, showing clear racial predisposition to disease. Sensitive breeds indicatively include the following: Rottweiler, Newfoundland, Staffordshire Terrier, Pitbull, Labrador, Mastino Napolitano, Cane corso, Mastiff, Akita, down blousing and instead rarely affected down blousing the German Shepherd, the Bobtail and Basset Hound.
Infected animals usually after adulthood, with the average onset 18-24 months. Noteworthy is the fact that after the partial or total rupture in an animal typically addresses at one end, at a rate of 45% within a few months shows the damage and at the other end, but unfortunately it can not reliably predict with some examination .
In any case, occurrence of lameness in the hind limbs, the disease is first enters the differential diagnosis, especially for dogs belonging to the aforesaid sensitive breeds.
The diagnosis is relatively easy and is done by clinical examination down blousing after sedation, during which special test can evaluate joint instability and with aktinografimata which are characteristic and prominent findings of disease.
Symptoms down blousing can observe the owner is lameness when walking especially after intense exercise, inability of the dog to bend the affected joint and swelling of the knee internally compared to healthy. Characteristic bending weakness, is the attitude that takes the dog in place sit with the affected limb pronounced, since it avoids the painful bending.
The dog photo left, unable sit with knees fully bent while in Labrador right is apparent weakness and unwillingness to bend his left knee.
If the instability resulting from the disease is not rectified in time, the hinge now being developed irreversible damage osteoarthritis and possibly rupture of the medial meniscus, resulting in chronic pain.
In this direction we have been described in recent years too many surgical techniques based on different principles and philosophies. We can group them according to their principle on three categories:
The extra-articular techniques aim to stabilize the joint by placing artificial joint or ligament at the outer side of the knee .Description many methods by a variety of techniques and materials. Used mainly synthetic down blousing sutures, which substitute in part the function of the anterior down blousing cruciate ligament, creating an artificial link between the femur and tibia. A prerequisite for the success of the technique is the placement of this artificial joint be in isometric points, down blousing ie points between femur and tibia whose distance remains constant down blousing during movement of the joint.
This technique is a low cost and is my choice technique in small dogs or