This is Maggie, an 8 year old Border Collie Cross who presented to Michele at McMaster & Heap Vet Practice with acute lameness in her Right hind leg after running around in the park.
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) sits right in the middle of the stifle joint, holds the joint tight, and prevents lateral movement which causes pain and instability.
Maggie’s ruptured ACL is repaired by Michele by placing heavy gauge nylon suture around the fabella ligament. She then traverses right through the joint under the patella ligament, drills a hole in the tibia, brings the ligament through the tibia and ties it quite tight at about 135 degrees at standing angle laterally on the side of the knee.
Maggie’s temperature, heart rate and respirations are checked before and during the entire surgery. The procedure takes approximately 2 hours. The surgery stabilises the knee and has her functional again.