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TPLO Guide

Choosing and Templating a TPLO Plate

By osAlign · Updated · 2 min read

Quick answer

Choose a TPLO plate by templating it on a calibrated radiograph after planning the osteotomy and rotation. The right plate lets the proximal screws sit in the rotated plateau segment without entering the joint or the osteotomy, suits the patient's size, and follows the tibial shaft. True-size templates make that check meaningful.

Key takeaways

  • Template the plate after the rotation is planned, on the rotated segment, not the original anatomy.
  • Check proximal screws against the joint surface, the osteotomy, and the tibial tuberosity.
  • Plate families come in sizes (for example by screw size, small and standard variants) and in left and right versions.
  • A template is only as good as its dimensions; osAlign's outlines are built from measured physical plates.
The osAlign plate overlay panel with an InVictos Elevation TPLO plate, size 3.5 small, right side, rotated 11 degrees on the proximal tibia
A 3.5 small TPLO plate templated on the rotated plateau segment, rotated 11° to follow the tibia.

When to template the plate

Template last. The plate sits on the plateau segment after it has been rotated, so the plan needs the osteotomy and rotation in place first. Templating on the unrotated anatomy puts the proximal screws in the wrong place.

What a good plate position looks like

  • Proximal screws inside the plateau segment, clear of the joint surface.
  • No screws across the osteotomy. Proximal screws belong to the rotated segment and distal screws to the shaft.
  • Clear of the tibial tuberosity and the patellar ligament insertion.
  • Distal portion along the tibial shaft, with enough screws in solid bone below the osteotomy.
  • Size appropriate to the patient, neither overwhelming a small tibia nor undersized for a large, active dog.
A complete osAlign TPLO plan with the plate template on the rotated segment and calibrated measurement lines
The finished plan: plate template on the rotated segment alongside the plateau angle and osteotomy measurements.

Plate families and sizes

TPLO plates are anatomically contoured for the medial proximal tibia and come in left and right versions. Manufacturers offer several sizes within a plate family, usually named by screw size and sometimes with small, standard, or broad variants. The same nominal size can differ between manufacturers, which is why templating the specific plate you will use is more reliable than a size chart.

Templating a plate in osAlign

  1. Open the plate overlay tool and choose the manufacturer.
  2. Choose the plate type and step through sizes with the slider.
  3. Choose the side (left or right) and the view.
  4. Add the implant, then drag it into position and rotate it to follow the tibia.
  5. Try the next size up or down if screws crowd the joint or the osteotomy.
osAlign plate catalog panel showing company, plate type, size slider, side selection, and a preview of the plate outline before adding it
Preview the measured plate outline before adding it to the plan.

Because osAlign draws plates from measured physical plates at true scale on the calibrated image, the clearance you see is the clearance you should expect, within the limits of your radiograph and calibration. See planning a TPLO to 0.1 mm precision.

Frequently asked questions

How do you choose a TPLO plate size?

Template candidate plates on a calibrated radiograph after planning the rotation. Choose the size whose proximal screws fit in the rotated plateau segment without entering the joint or the osteotomy and whose shaft portion follows the tibia with enough screws in solid bone.

Should I template the plate before or after planning rotation?

After. The plate is applied to the rotated segment, so templating on the unrotated anatomy misplaces the proximal screws.

Are osAlign plate templates true size?

Yes. osAlign's plate outlines are built from measured physical plates and drawn at true scale on the calibrated radiograph.

References

  1. Kim SE, Pozzi A, Kowaleski MP, Lewis DD. Tibial osteotomies for cranial cruciate ligament insufficiency in dogs. Vet Surg. 2008;37(2):111-125. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18251804/
  2. Bergh MS, Peirone B. Complications of tibial plateau levelling osteotomy in dogs. Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol. 2012;25(5):349-358. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22534675/
  3. Slocum B, Slocum TD. Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy for repair of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in the canine. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 1993;23(4):777-795. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8337790/
  4. Assessment of the accuracy of digital surgical planning and its implementation with TPLO. Veterinary Research Communications (Springer), 2026. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11259-026-11253-w

For educational and planning support only. Surgeon judgment governs all clinical decisions.

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