When Does Your Dog Need a Knee Brace? There are approximately 77 million dogs in the US, and they can suffer knee injuries just like humans. Some of the injuries are simple sprains, but others can be much more serious, like a tendon or a tear to the Canine Cruciate Ligament or CCL. It is estimated that 1.2 million dogs have surgery on their CCL per year in the US, which is about five times the number of human operations, although humans outnumber dogs five to one. But if your dog has a knee injury, you may be able to fit him with a dog knee brace instead of choosing expensive surgery.
Why Get a Dog Knee Brace? A dog knee brace is a special orthopedic device that is placed on the dog’s knee to guide the knee in healthy anatomical movements and to reduce motions that can damage the knee further. If your dog has an injured CCL, the knee brace will reduce the backward slide of the femur on his tibia and reduce the chances the ligament will stretch. This is sometimes refered to as a “drawer movement”.