A NEW SURGICAL METHOD FOR CANINE CONGENITAL PATELLAR LUXATION

Canine patellar luxation is seen in toy and miniature breeds, and in t he majority of cases the problem is medial patellar luxation. When the luxation is left alone, it causes deformity and disorder in the growt h of the affected limb. In severe cases, the limb may cease to afuncti on. Early surgical correction is therefore essential, but the owners a re not able to detect the disorder at an early age and surgical interv ention in most cases will take place after 6 months of age. The author s were able to have the opportunity to operate at an earlier age by ed ucating breeders and owners. Various techniques have been developed an d implemented to correct this disorder with varying therapeutic result s. The authors have devised a unique surgical method which has been ap plied to the numerous cases with good results since 1985. The procedur e is to make a longitudinal groove on the medial cortical bone of the tibial tuberosity along the tibial crest, and to place small pieces of artificial ceramic bone or autoplastic bone grafts in the groove, thu s laterally transposing the tibial tuberosity and crest. This method m akes it possible to put the quadriceps muscles of the thigh, the patel la and the patellar ligament in the correct alignment over the femoral trochlea. It is considered appropriate to conduct this operation at 1 .0-3.0 months of age when the dog has matured enough to be able to wit hstand anesthesia and surgical stress.