Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Treatment of a coxofemoral luxation secondary to upward fixation of the patella in a Shetland pony.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 1996
- Authors:
- Clegg, P D & Butson, R J
- Affiliation:
- Department of Farm Animal and Equine Medicine and Surgery
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A nine-year-old male Shetland pony suddenly became very lame in its right back leg. After a thorough examination, it was found that the joint in the hip area was out of place, which can happen after certain knee problems. The first attempt to fix the joint didn't hold, so the pony's leg was put in a special sling for four days to help keep the joint in place. Although the pony was able to stay comfortable and active for over two years afterward, it eventually developed arthritis in the hip joint that made it severely lame, leading to the difficult decision to euthanize it.
Abstract
A nine-year-old Shetland pony gelding, with a history of recurrent upward fixation of the patella, suddenly developed severe lameness in its right hindlimb. A luxation of the coxofemoral joint was diagnosed by a clinical and radiographic examination. The initial treatment of the luxation by closed reduction was not maintained, and the limb was placed in an Ehmer sling for four days after a second closed reduction. This allowed the femoral head to remain in the acetabulum, although a persistent subluxation remained, presumably owing to a rupture of the round ligament. The pony remained comfortable at pasture for over two years after the reduction, until osteoarthritis of the coxofemoral joint caused it to become severely lame and it had to be euthanased.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8650916/