Contents : Section I: STRUCTURE & FUNCTION. 1. Morphology of the cranial cruciate ligament. 2. Cranial cruciate ligament innervation and blood supply. 3. Cranial cruciate ligament function. 4. Biomechanics of the cranial cruciate ligament. 5. Age-related changes in the composition of the cranial cruciate ligament. 6. Stifle Joint Kinematics. 7. Meniscal Structure and Function. Section II: ETIOPATHOGENESIS OF DEGENERATIVE CRUCIATE RUPTURE 8. Genetics of Degenerative Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture. 9. Stifle morphology. 10. Ligament metabolism and development of laxity. 11. Ligament degeneration and nitric oxide metabolism in canine cranial cruciate ligament. 13. Synovitis or stifle instability, which comes first?. 14. Role of T lymphocytes in stifle synovitis. 15. Caudal cruciate ligament rupture. 16. Role of instability as a cause of lameness in dogs with degenerative cruciate ligament rupture. Section III: CLINICAL FEATURES OF AFFECTED DOGS 17. Epidemiology of cranial cruciate ligament rupture. 18. History and clinical signs of cruciate rupture. 19. Radiographic signs of cranial cruciate ligament rupture (note: to include discussion of stress radiography). Section IV: SURGICAL TREATMENT 20. Introduction (Note: to include comment on the fact that there are many different types of cruciate surgery and that this chapter will focus on procedures that are commonly used currently.). 21. Extracapsular stabilization. 22. Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy. 23. Tibial tuberosity advancement. 24. Intra-articular stabilization. 25. Surgical management of dogs with stifle arthritis, cruciate degeneration, and a stable stifle. 26. Surgical treatment of concurrent meniscal injury. 27. Residual lameness and arthritis progression after cruciate surgery. Section V: MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF CRUCIATE RUPTURE 28. Medical therapy for stifle arthritis. 29. Rehabilitation for dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture. Section VI: FUTURE DIRECTIONS 30. Biomarkers for the cranial cruciate ligament arthropathy. 31. Cranial cruciate ligament repair. 32. Disease-modifying medical therapy