undergo a longitudinal tear. With this type of lesion, the meniscus may fold itself during the abnormal sliding motion of the unstable joint. This type of lesion frequently exhibits a clicking or snapping sound as the meniscus unfolds.


                           
                                                      TREATMENT


Surgical stabilization of the stifle is recommended for all anterior cruciate ruptures. Surgical techniques can be divided into extracapsular or intracapsular. The extracapsular techniques alter the tissues outside the joint to tighten and stabilize the knee. They include heavy sutures placed outside of, but next to the joint (i.e. modified Flo imbrication) and the manipulation of ligaments adjacent to, but not inside of, the joint to stabilize the knee (fibular head transposition). Intracapsular techniques generally utilize a graft from an adjacent tissue in the knee to replace the anterior cruciate ligament and are located within the joint capsule. In either case, any damaged portion of the meniscus and all remnants of the ruptured cruciate ligament are removed or repaired at the time of corrective surgery.       

Reproduced courtesy of the Southern California Veterinary Surgical Group