Cruciate disease is the commonest orthopaedic problem in dogs and several different surgical techniques exist to address it. Owners understandably expect a good result after surgery and can become dissatisfied if their dog does not have the outcome that they had hoped. This lecture looks at various reasons for lameness to return or remain following surgery for cranial cruciate ligament disease. Using cases to illustrate different complications, it covers why a suboptimal result may occur after surgery, how to avoid this whenever possible and ways in which this can be addressed if it occurs.