Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Carpal brace helped 11 of 14 dogs with wrist ligament instability
By Tomlinson, Julia E & Manfredi, Jane M·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2014·Twin Cities Animal Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Clinic·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Evaluation of application of a carpal brace as a treatment for carpal ligament instability in dogs: 14 cases (2008-2011).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 14 athletic dogs with carpal ligament instability (a condition affecting the wrist joint) were treated with a carpal brace. The dogs underwent exercises to strengthen the affected area while wearing the brace. After treatment, 11 of the dogs returned to normal function and were able to compete in agility events again. Measurements showed significant improvement in joint stability, and lameness scores dropped to zero for most dogs after the brace was removed. This suggests that using a carpal brace can effectively help dogs recover from this type of injury.
People also search for: dog wrist injury treatment · carpal brace for dogs · dog agility competition recovery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether carpal brace application is a viable treatment for dogs with unilateral carpal ligament instability. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 14 client-owned athletic dogs. PROCEDURES: Medical records were reviewed to identify dogs treated with a brace for unilateral carpal valgus or varus instability between August 2008 and August 2011. Treatment included passive motion and isometric strengthening exercises during brace application. RESULTS: Of the 14 dogs, 11 were considered to have returned to normal function; 11 of 12 dogs returned to agility competition. Carpal measurements before treatment indicated the affected limb had significantly greater valgus measurements (median, 30°; range, 30° to 35°), significantly greater varus measurements (median, 15°; range, 15° to 25°), and significantly less flexion (median, 37.5°; range, 30° to 45°), compared with results for the contralateral carpus. Long-term monitoring revealed no differences in measurements between affected and contralateral limbs. Valgus measurements of the affected carpus at brace removal (median, 15°; range, 15° to 20°) and at the end of long-term monitoring (median, 15°; range, 15° to 20°) were significantly lower than measurements before treatment (median, 30°; range, 30° to 35°). Dogs had significantly lower lameness scores (assessed on a scale of 0 to 5) at brace removal (median, 0; range, 0) and at the end of monitoring (median, 0; range, 0 to 2), compared with scores before treatment (median, 3; range, 1 to 3). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Application of a carpal brace resulted in improved stability and resolution or reduction in lameness in dogs with carpal ligament instability.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24479458/