Cruciate Tears?
How do you help the dogs that DON'T have surgery?
Surveys of general practices indicate that over 25% of dogs with cruciate tears don't undergo surgery. Surgeons don't know this because owners don't even reach out. Though surgery is still the "gold standard", we use bracing to support the rest!
20+ years of use by rehab professionals
The brace was originally designed by a Surgeon, a PT, and a Prosthetist at Alameda East in Denver for an 8-month-old dog that still had open growth plates. Watch a case study of a different dog that returned to agility trials below.
Hero Stifle Brace Design Benefits:
- Most lightweight dog knee brace available, helping dogs play carefree
- Our easy On/Off suspension band means NO complex harness
- Waterproof and durable, and swimming is a perfect recovery activity
To take a deeper dive into how the brace works, watch the video below from our Prosthetist-Orthotist
How the brace works.
Custom is Key!
There are over 200 breeds of dogs. How can 5 standard sizes possibly fit them all?
That's why we make custom ACL braces, so you have the best chance to succeed!
Make sure your dog is comfortable, choose custom fit not "One-Size-Fits-None"
Watch a simple casting video below.
FAQs
They only wear it while they are ambulating. The tibial thrust only affects them during weight bearing. Having support during weight bearing allows the dog to shift some weight off the "good" side. Hopefully, this reduces the chance of tearing the other side.
Generally, we see the dogs wear the brace for about 9 months until the medial buttress forms. Many vets report the buttress is smaller and the joint is tighter when using the brace, possibly because it reduces the thrust just enough. We continue to work with Vet Colleges to research these clinical findings more deeply.
Actually, if you use it properly, it helps strengthen muscles. Without support or surgery, muscles atrophy because the dog won't put weight on the leg due to instability. When the leg feels stable, the dog starts using the leg and building back muscle. The brace allows for relatively normal ROM. It's designed to stop the bad tibial thrust motion during weight bearing.
It's new to many. Rehab speaker and PT, Dr. Carrie Adrian, was interviewed about it on DVM360 here
Hero Braces
Stifle Brace
$1,246.00 USD
Unit price per-Fabric braces wear out quickly, custom braces last the life of your dog
-No need to crate your dog after brace is fit
-Play sooner with FREE 2-day shipping
Custom-made products are NOT refundable, please make sure the owner is aware. By-size products can be returned within 14 days for a refund minus shipping IF it is new condition.
Because we are Veterinarian owned, we care about the industry as a whole. We support multiple professional veterinary organizations and their plight to grow the industry in a caring way.
