Full recovery from TPLO surgery depends on the severity of lameness before surgery, degree of CCL tear (partial or full), presence or absence of meniscal injury, and participation in a physical rehabilitation program. While bone healing takes 6-8 weeks, there are milestones to reach both before and after this time:

1. 10-14 days: The skin incision heals. Your pet is evaluated by us or your primary care veterinarian to ensure the skin incision has healed.
2. 8 weeks: The bone heals from the bone cut (or osteotomy, the “O” in TPLO). This is when we take complimentary x-rays of the knee to verify adequate bone healing. Once the surgeon has confirmed bone healing, dogs can resume more normal levels of activity.
3. 12-16 weeks: This is when most dogs can return to their normal activity.
4. 6-12 months: By this time, we expect postoperative patients to bear equal weight between the postsurgical and the normal leg.