Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Increased knee twisting in dogs with patellar luxation or ligament
By Faulkner, Emma et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2026·1VCA California Veterinary Specialists, United States·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Internal rotational laxity of the stifle is increased in dogs predisposed to or affected by medial patellar luxation or cranial cruciate ligament disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that dogs with medial patellar luxation (MPL), a condition where the kneecap slips out of place, or cranial cruciate ligament disease (CCLD), which affects knee stability, have increased internal rotation in their knee joints compared to healthy dogs. This means that if your dog is limping or showing signs of knee pain, it could be due to one of these conditions. The research involved measuring the knee joint movement in various breeds, revealing that those predisposed to or affected by these issues had significantly more internal rotation. Understanding this can help veterinarians diagnose and treat knee problems more effectively in dogs.
People also search for: dog limping knee pain · medial patellar luxation treatment · cranial cruciate ligament disease symptoms
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report and compare the range of stifle rotation in dogs predisposed to, or affected by, medial patellar luxation (MPL) or cranial cruciate ligament disease (CCLD) with that of Greyhounds. METHODS: Greyhounds (negative controls), sound dogs of breeds predisposed to MPL or CCLD, and dogs with MPL or CCLD were enrolled in this clinical prospective study between December 5, 2022, and October 27, 2023. They underwent orthopedic examination and goniometric measurements of tibial torsion and stifle rotation, flexion, and extension. Limbs were classified as having low risk for, being predisposed to, or being affected by stifle disease. Body condition scores, tibial torsion, stifle rotation, flexion, and extension were compared between groups of limbs. RESULTS: Data were collected on 208 limbs (104 dogs), classified as 48 controls, 37 limbs predisposed to MPL, 47 limbs predisposed to CCLD, 44 limbs with MPL, and 32 limbs with CCLD. Internal rotation was greater in stifles diagnosed with MPL (median, 38.83°; IQR, 35.67° to 46.83°) or CCLD (median, 32.17°; IQR, 25.67° to 35.67°) than in controls (median, 12.0°; IQR, 10.33° to 13.33°). Similar results were obtained when sound limbs predisposed to MPL (median, 32.22°; IQR, 27.67° to 35.67°) or CCLD (median, 32.17°; IQR, 25.67° to 35.67°) were compared to those of Greyhounds. CONCLUSIONS: Internal rotation exceeded that of control limbs by approximately 20° in stifles predisposed to or affected by MPL or CCLD. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These findings provide evidence of an association between rotational laxity and the presence of or predisposition to MPL and CCLD in dogs.
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/40738157/