Veterinary Orthopedic Implants TTA Rapid Cage for Animals Surgery

TTA stands for Tibial Tubercle Anterior Transposition, which is a procedure used to treat a dog's anterior cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture. Core indications: Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (CCL) in dogs (complete or partial). Especially suitable for medium and large dogs, active dogs, and dogs with well-developed quadriceps. It is also used for secondary meniscus injuries caused by CCL rupture (meniscus will be checked and treated during surgery) Imagine that your dog's knee is under great pressure when running. When the CCL is broken, the tibia (calf bone) will slide forward uncontrollably (drawer effect) like it has no brakes, causing pain, lameness and arthritis. The core idea of ​​TTA is not to change the angle of the tibial plateau (unlike the TPLO rotation platform), but to move the bone (tibial tuberosity) where the patellar tendon (knee tendon) is attached forward as a whole! At the same time, a specially designed metal "spreader" (cage/wedge block) is inserted into the gap in the bone to maintain the position. The purpose is to make the pulling direction of the patellar tendon almost vertical. In this way, when the dog pushes off the ground, the powerful force of the patellar tendon no longer pulls the tibia forward (causing a drawer), but presses down on the tibia, directly counteracting the drawer effect and stabilizing the knee joint!

The shape of the TTA Cage/Spacer is usually a square or trapezoidal hollow cage (there is also a solid wedge block design), with different heights (sizes) available (such as 3mm, 6mm, 9mm, etc.). The function of TTA is that it is precisely placed in the bone gap created by the forward displacement of the tibial tuberosity after osteotomy. Its function is to maintain the forward displacement distance, ensure that the tibial tuberosity is stably fixed in the new position, and prevent it from retracting. Provide initial stability: Its geometric structure fits closely with the bone surface and provides support. Promote bone healing: The hollow design allows new bone to grow in (bone ingrowth) to achieve biological permanent fixation.

1. The biomechanical goal is clear and direct: By changing the angle of the patellar tendon (close to 90 degrees), the dog's own powerful quadriceps muscle (the patellar tendon is its extension) is directly used to dynamically stabilize the knee joint and offset the drawer effect. The principle is intuitive and in line with biomechanics.

2. The surgical operation is relatively "friendly":

1) Osteotomy is simpler: only a straight, horizontal or slightly oblique osteotomy (cutting the tibial tubercle) is required. Compared with the complex circular osteotomy of TPLO, the technical difficulty is slightly lower, and the learning curve may be slightly flatter. Don't be afraid of cutting a crooked circle!

2) Positioning is relatively easy: the goal is mainly the forward movement distance (determined by the cage height), and the intraoperative angle measurement requirements are not as strict as TPLO (TPLO requires precise rotation angle). The operation time may be shortened, and the operation steps are relatively simplified.

3. Early postoperative functional recovery may be faster (theoretically controversial, but common in clinical observations):

Many surgeons and owners have reported that dogs seem to have less pain after TTA and are willing to touch the ground with the affected limb earlier.

Possible reasons: The osteotomy area has rich blood supply (mainly cancellous bone), the surgery has relatively little disturbance to the joint (focusing on the operation outside the joint), and the biomechanical changes take effect immediately.

4. Implant design promotes bone healing:

Hollow titanium cage: allows trabecular bone to grow in, achieves biological permanent fixation, and has good long-term stability.

5. Effective treatment of meniscus problems:

After the tibial tuberosity is moved forward, the knee joint cavity is more fully opened, the field of vision is excellent, and it is convenient to thoroughly inspect and treat (such as resection) the lesions of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus (this is an extremely common secondary problem after CCL rupture!).

6. It has unique advantages for certain cases:

Dogs with very steep tibial plateau angle (TPA) (> 35 degrees):

TPLO requires a larger rotation angle and is more technically challenging; TTA is not limited by the original TPA.

Abnormal patellar position (such as high patella): TTA can improve the patellar position to a certain extent while stabilizing the knee.