What are the Common Orthopedic Surgeries in Dogs?

cats and dogs

Dogs are very dear to the owners, and no owner wants to see their pet in pain. However, due to various conditions and injuries, dogs have to go through pain. Injuries or problems related to bones and musculoskeletal systems are quite crucial and must be treated on time. You need to choose a highly qualified and experienced surgeon to perform your pet orthopedic surgery. Some orthopedic surgeries which are common for dogs are explained below. If your dog is going through any of these conditions, you need to take immediate action. 

Extracapsular Lateral Suture Stabilization (ELSS) 

 A very common knee injury in dogs is the cranial crucial ligament injury. Basically, two crucial ligaments are present inside the dog’s knee, i.e. caudal crucial ligament and the cranial crucial ligament. These are known as crucial because both these knees cross over each other. 

When the cranial cruciate ligament fractures or is torn, the knee joint becomes unstable, making it impossible to walk. Extracapsular Lateral Suture Stabilization (ELSS) is a surgery that is performed to solve this issue. In simple words, an artificial ligament is added through the knee joint’s back to the front. This artificial ligament or suture makes the joint stable and restrains the tibia (shin bone) from moving back and forth after the injury. 

Patellar Luxation Corrective Surgery 

When the dog’s knee cap slips from its normal position, it gets impossible for the dog to straighten out the leg. This condition is called Luxating Patellas. Mostly, small breed dogs are affected by this problem. Patellar Luxation Corrective surgery is performed to correct this issue. The surgery will depend upon the displacement level and the abnormalities that have caused the Luxating Patellas. Some common surgical procedures relating to this issue are operating the soft tissues which are around the Patellas and securing the dog’s knee cap etc. 

Femoral Head and Neck Osteotomy (FHO)

This surgery is performed to eliminate the pain in mobility, which is caused by a damaged or diseased hip. In this surgery, the neck and head of the femur are removed. The femur is a thigh bone or the long leg bone in dogs. Normally, a hip is referred to as a ball and socket joint. The socket is actually the acetabulum (a part of the dog’s pelvis), and the head of the femur is the ball that gets fit in the acetabulum (the socket). It allows free movement of the hip. However, due to any injury or disease, this movement is compromised. The purpose of FHO is to restore that mobility by eliminating the head of the femur. Now, the socket is left empty, and over time scar tissues begin to develop between the femur and acetabulum, which offers cushioning, also known as a false joint. Thus, pain-free movement becomes possible. 

Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) Surgery

This is another surgery performed for the crucial ligament injury. Vets aim to restrain the tibia from moving too much during walking. The surgery assists in making the knee joint stable and minimizes mechanical stress. The top of the shin bone is altered by cutting and rotating the bone to stabilize it into a different position. 

Vets or pet surgeons are the ones who will decide what kind of situation your dog is in and which surgery would be the best. So always rely on them rather than doing self-diagnosis.