TPLO

This stands for Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy and describes an operation for the repair of a ruptured anterior cruciate in larger breeds of dogs. This is a knee injury which is also a common injury in footballers. This method of repair involves changing the angle or level of the top joint-surface of the tibia, or shin bone, so that the sheering force caused by the femur (thigh bone), sliding forward, is stopped.

It is very successful and leads to much less arthritis in the older dog and gives an active dog full mobility again. The best type of TPLO is the SLOCUM method, for which Stuart Asworth, our orthopaedic specialist, is qualified to do, having attended training in America, which has allowed us to buy all the specialised Slocum equipment.

We take referrals for this form of repair from other practices.

The trolley represents the force applied to the cruciate ligament. When the joint surface is level, there is no pull on the ligament, so stability is regained.