ORTHOPAEDICS
younger dogs can often be challenging on radiographs.
Since you may not have bony arthritic changes on these
films, assessing for laxity in your physical examination
and radiographs is vital for young dog diagnosis (Figures
4a & 4b).
Sit test
Dogs with only hip dysplasia (no concurrent cruciate
ligament injury) sit normally, with both legs flexed symmetrically.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Of course, both conditions can be present in a dog at
the same time. In the study mentioned above, 32% of
dogs referred to a surgeon for hip dysplasia treatment
had a torn cranial cruciate ligament.1 Interestingly, 94%
of the dogs with a cruciate tear had concurrent radiographic signs of hip dysplasia.1
Thus, I think it is a great practice to radiograph the hips
in patients with torn cruciate ligaments as well since it
affects the pain and rehabilitation protocols. In my experience, 80% never need hip surgery, but your knee patients won’t do as well if you aren’t aware you are fighting two battles.
Figure 4a: This radiograph was scored as OFA Good with mild incongruence and slight acetabular sclerosis in a young dog.
CONCLUSION
When evaluating an affected dog, it is imperative to do
a thorough orthopedic and neurologic examination to
accurately localize the clinical signs and provide an appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Acknowledgment
The author would like to thank Dr. Phil Zeltzman for his
input in this article.
Reference
Figure 4b: This distracted frog-leg view is of the same dog in Figure
4A but more clearly illustrates the laxity that is present in this patient
that was missed with the standard OFA-style radiograph.
1. Powers MY, Martinez SA, Lincoln JD, et al. Prevalence of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in a population of dogs with lameness previously attributed to
hip dysplasia: 369 cases (1994-2003). J Am Vet Med
Assoc 2005;227(7):1109-1111.
Issue 01 | FEBRUARY 2016 | 33
FEB 2016 Vet3