Summary
Open surgical fixation was performed on four hip joints in three dogs who were suffering
from caudoventral hip luxations for which closed reduction had previously failed.
Stabilization of the joint was achieved with a ventral coxofemoral approach, which
augmented the function of the transverse acetabular ligament using a sling implant
through a bone tunnel (n=1), a sling implant around two pelvic screws (n=1), or an
internal fixator plate (n=2). Transverse acetabular ligament augmentation resulted
in successful joint stabilization in all cases, and should be considered for the surgical
reduction of caudoventral hip luxations in dogs. The use of an internal fixator plate,
while preserving soft-tissue blood supply and resulting in minimal to no long-term
arthritic changes, may provide an optimal outcome.
Keywords
Caudoventral hip luxation - transverse acetabular ligament - sling implant - UniLock
plate - dog