Interview: acl injuries in dogs

Knee injuries are quite common in humans. You’ve probably heard of a person tearing a ligament in their and needing surgery to repair it. Did you know that this same issue can happen to canines? ACL injuries in dogs are actually the number one orthopedic disease faced by canines.

This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Neil Embleton, co-inventor of the Simitri Stable in Stride®, an implant that is revolutionizing the repairing of ACL ligaments in dogs. He worked with Dr. Veronica Barkowski to create the device.

Dr. Embleton wanted to be sure to acknowledge the incredible work done by Dr. Barkowski. She was able to determine exactly where to place the implant in the live patient based on measurements taken from preoperative radiographs.

An ACL repair can leave a dog needing physical therapy and weeks of rest and relaxation to heal properly. How do I know this? Because, sadly my parents have three Labrador retrievers and two of them have undergone this surgery. I wish I had spoken with Dr. Embleton years ago, so I could have passed this knowledge on to my parents.

The Simitri Stable in Stride® is a surgical stabilization technique in which no bones or muscles are cut.

This is the key difference between this implant and the traditional surgical procedure for repairing ACL injuries in dogs. The Simitri Stable in Stride® technique utilizes a three-part modular implant that is positioned on the inside of the leg but remains outside the joint.

Don’t worry, I know this all sounds like a bunch of veterinary jargon right now, but I’ll explain it all in layman’s terms! I spoke with Dr. Embleton to get some more information on what the implant is and why it is so revolutionary in the veterinary field. For more in-depth information on the implant itself, you can check out New Generation Devices, the company that manufactures and distributes the implant. While this is a Canadian invention, Dr. Embleton says it is a true North American collaboration and he would like to thank New Generation Devices for their support.

Interview: ACL Injuries in Dogs

So first, you’re probably wondering what Dr. Embleton’s credentials are. Well, he graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1987, and his career in the veterinary field began in mixed animal practice in Southern Ontario. After a year of that, he and his wife migrated to Alberta and towards small animal surgery, especially orthopedics.

Dr. Embleton told me that he enjoyed the challenge of putting the pieces back together after an orthopedic injury. Sadly, due to a lack of funds and having a young family, an orthopedic surgical residency was not an option for him at the time. Instead, he has pursued many continuing education courses over the last 29 years.

Video: Bracing Vs Surgery in Dog ACL injuries

He is certified in AO/ASIF techniques, spinal surgery, arthroscopy, TPLO (another common ACL repair technique) and total hip replacement. In fact, Dr. Embleton performed the first canine cemented total hip replacement procedure in Alberta. So, why such a focus on ACL injuries in dogs?

What are ACL injuries in dogs?

Before we can talk about the Simitri Stable in Stride®, we need to understand exactly why it is needed in the first place. There are four ligaments that stabilize your dog’s knee during movement. The cranial cruciate ligament, referred to as the anterior cruciate ligament or ACL in humans, is the main stabilizer of the knee joint.

This ligament has two main functions- it limits cranial translation and internal rotation of the tibia, otherwise known as forward and inward rotation movement of the shin.

As the ligament fails, the knee becomes unstable. This leads to pain, lameness, arthritis, loss of range of motion and decreased muscle mass of the affected leg. Dr. Embleton says that the incidence of the disease varies, with some breeds being more susceptible. On average it affects about 3-5% of the canine population, and he told me that it is the number one orthopedic disease faced by dogs.

Breeds that are more susceptible to ACL injuries in dogs include:

• Labrador retrievers
• Newfoundlands
• German shepherds
• Rottweilers
• Golden retrievers

What other options are available?

Currently, there are two main classes of surgical management of cruciate ligament injuries: extracapsular repair techniques using either monofilament nylon or multifilament braided material to emulate the ligament, or geometry modifying procedures such as TPLO.

Over time Dr. Embleton began to question the procedure itself. He says he had issues with inflicting a hard tissue injury (cutting a healthy bone) and forever changing the biomechanics of the dog’s knee joint.

Video: Canine ACL Tears and TPLO Surgery discussed by Dr. Bauer, DVM, DACVS

There is still no scientific evidence to suggest one procedure has benefits over another. – Dr. Neil Embleton

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