Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog stance analysis shows less limping after patellar luxation surgery
By DiGiovanni, Lisa C et al.·Published in American journal of veterinary research·2023·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Preoperative and postoperative stance analysis in dogs with patellar luxation confirms lameness improvement after surgery.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 131 dogs with patellar luxation (a knee problem) underwent surgery to correct the issue and were evaluated for lameness before and after the procedure. The dogs showed significant improvement in their ability to bear weight on the affected leg after surgery, especially noticeable at their second follow-up visit. Factors like age, sex, and the specific surgical technique used did not significantly impact the outcome. Overall, the surgery helped these dogs move better and reduced their limping.
People also search for: dog limping after surgery · patellar luxation treatment in dogs · dog knee surgery recovery time
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To document and compare preoperative and postoperative stance analysis measurements in animals with naturally occurring patellar luxation. ANIMALS: 131 client-owned dogs surgically treated for naturally occurring unilateral or bilateral patella luxation between March 30, 2015, and February 12, 2020. PROCEDURES: Weight bearing as a percent body weight on each limb was recorded with the use of a platform device for analyzing stance (PetSafe Stance Analyzer; LiteCure LLC, Companion Animal Health) preoperatively and postoperatively for all dogs. Signalment, limb affected, lameness grade, luxation direction, luxation grade, and surgical procedure were collected from patient records and assessed for the effects of these variables on weight bearing preoperatively or at the first or second postoperative recheck examination. RESULTS: There were 61 males and 70 females, with a mean age and body weight of 4.62 years and 13.01 kg, included in the study. As age increased, body weight decreased in these dogs (P = .025). There was a statistically significant improvement in lameness after surgery (P = .008) at the second postoperative recheck examination. Lameness significantly decreased as postoperative time increased (P < .001, r = 0.503). As age increased, lameness at the initial visit decreased compared to younger dogs but not significantly (P = .062). There was no significant effect of preoperative luxation grade, luxation direction, surgical procedure, or sex when comparing initial lameness or lameness at recheck examination. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Surgical correction of patella luxation improves lameness as measured by postoperative stance analysis. Preoperative luxation grade or direction, surgical procedure performed, and sex of the animal did not significantly affect outcome in this group of 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/36662604/