Summary
Surgical procedures such as total hip arthroplasty (THA) or femoral head and neck
excision may be indicated as a treatment for traumatic coxo-femoral luxation that
is complicated by pre-existing joint disease, concurrent fractures or recurrent luxation.
The purpose of our study was to evaluate outcome after treatment of traumatic coxo-femoral
luxation by THA. Medical records of dogs undergoing cemented THA from 1996 to 2002
were reviewed. Inclusion criteria were coxofemoral luxation resulting from severe
external trauma and radiographic follow-up of at least 3 months. Ten dogs (12 THA)
met the criteria for inclusion. Complications included THA luxation (n = 1) and a
non-displaced peri-prosthetic femoral fracture (n = 1) that healed without further
surgery. Median cumulative function scores from client questionnaires after THA were
not significantly different in dogs with previously normal (8, range: 7-10), (n =
5) and dysplastic (9, range: 7–16), (n = 5) hips (P = 0.410). Six dogs were available
for re-examination and force plate analysis at greater than 6 months post-THA, and
none of these dogs had any visible lameness. Peak vertical force (% BWt) showed a
trend towards being less in THA (60.8±5.1) than non-operated (68.1±6.1) hindlimbs
(P = 0.057), whereas vertical impulse (% BWt x sec) was similar in THA (9.1±1.6) and
non-operated (9.8±1.2) hindlimbs (P = 0.286). Our findings indicate that THA can be
a successful treatment for traumatic coxo-femoral luxation, irrespective of the dysplastic
status of the joint prior to injury.
Keywords
Coxo-femoral luxation - cemented total hip arthroplasty - canine