Modified Maquet Procedure
APPOINTMENTAll You Need to Know About Modified Maquet Procedure
The MMP TTA (Tibial Tuberosity Advancement) is a surgery used to improve mobility for dogs with a torn cranial cruciate ligament. It is an improvement on a previous technique, and has been around for over a decade. It’s a rival to the TPLO technique, which was first introduced to the United States in the 1980’s. The MMP TTA method is less invasive and allows for a quicker surgery than other techniques.
The tibial crest is pushed forward with a titanium foam implant, which changes the forces inside the knee and removes the need for a cruciate ligament. This implant is permeable, allowing bone to grow through it for greater stability. After surgery, the bone will need to be supported for the next 10-12 weeks as it heals.
Despite the bone cutting, the recovery from an MMP is usually pretty quick. Dogs will typically be walking on the leg with some weight a few days after the procedure. A month or so post-op, many dogs will be putting an almost normal amount of weight on the leg. Rest is still very important to the healing of the bone and rebuilding of the muscle after an ACL tear, and detailed instructions will be discussed before surgery to ensure the best outcomes for your pet.
Complications are always a possibility, and can be more serious than those seen with the band surgery. The most extreme case would be a fracture of the shin bone. This would require major surgery to repair and stabilize the bone while it heals. As with most complications, this is mostly preventable by following the outlined aftercare.
While we do not perform TPLOs, we are happy to discuss the difference between TPLO and MMP in terms of expense, complications, and recovery times.