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ACL Problems Relatively Common in Dogs. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), in conjunction with the posterior cruciate ligament, provides internal stability to a dog's knee joint. Together with external support from the joint capsule and the collateral ligaments, proper knee function is ensured. Damage to and rupture of the ACL is a relatively common orthopedic problem in the dog. The cause of a torn ACL may be traumatic or secondary to an underlying joint problem, obesity, or other metabolic diseases (i.e., endocrine diseases, immune diseases, etc.). If an obvious trauma does not appear to be the cause of the injury, having your veterinarian perform a variety of diagnostic tests to investigate for the root cause and its treatment is helpful in providing better healing following repair. Although rest and time may allow for the other supporting structures of the knee (principally the joint capsule) to develop scar tissue and provide compensatory support to a torn ACL, this is not a given and is usually a fall-back option for small-breed/weight dogs only. For most dogs suffering from this injury, surgery is the only realistic option available to return joint function to normal and avoid early onset arthritis in the affected joint. This approach also allows pets to get back to a more active lifestyle following the injury. If you suspect that your dog has sustained a knee injury, he or should be evaluated by a veterinarian. This would include physical manipulation of the knee joint involved as well as radiographs (x-rays).
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