TPLO in Cats

Introduction
Rupture of the feline cruciate ligament was generally described as or assumed to be of a traumatic etiology and its surgical repair was documented in individual cases.

When cats develop CCL ruptures with little or no apparent trauma generally, they rupture the CCL only, but they may also have meniscal tears. Such cats are commonly overweight and the histological picture of their torn CCLs mirrors that of the degenerative changes that have been described in dogs: irregular arrangement of collagen fibers, fibrocyte proliferation, and occasional dystrophic mineralization.

Surgical management is the preferred treatment in cats with ACL rupture. lt has been reported, that cats do not need surgical repair and recover as well with conservative treatment. In our experience, surgical management is better to return the cat to normal function compared to conservative treatment.

Schnabl has shown, that cats with an ACL have a higher slope then normal cats which confirmed our own impression and encouraged us to go on using the TPLO in cats.

The TPLO procedure is technically demanding due to the small patient size. Positioning and general approach is similar as in dogs. lf there is a full tear, we perform a meniscal release by a caudomedial approach as described by Slocum.  [...]