When we start looking at the different dog hip dysplasia treatments, they are generally divided into treatments for immature dogs and treatments for adult dogs. The difference is because immature dogs have usually not developed arthritic changes and cartilage damage when we are considering surgical treatment whereas adult dogs tend to already have moderate to severe arthritis and cartilage damage present within the hip joints.
Triple pelvic osteotomy, or TPO as it is commonly called, is a surgical treatment used in immature dogs to give them a more normal hip and prevent arthritis from developing within the hip joint. The idea behind the surgery is to rotate the acetabular portion (pelvic side) of the hip joint outwards to give better coverage of the head of the femur. This is accomplished by making three cuts in the pelvis, hence triple pelvic osteotomy, then rotating the acetabulum outwards and securing it in the new position with a bone plate while it heals in this new position. In the end, this procedure stops the subluxation of the hip joint do to the laxity of the structures holding the hip joint together.
The best candidates for triple pelvic osteotomy are young dogs, usually under 1 year of age and ideally closer to 6-8 months, that have no signs of arthritis on radiographs. These dogs make the best candidates because they usually have minimal damage to the articular cartilage within the joint, which will give them the best outcome long term with the procedure. These dogs should also have a good solid “clunk” or pop when their hip is checked for an Ortalani sign, or the ability for their hip to subluxate. Determining if a dog is a good candidate is usually done with a combination of palpation of the hip and radiographs.
Complications associated with triple pelvic osteotomy include infection, implant failure, loss of some range of motion of the hip, narrowing of the pelvic canal, sciatic nerve injury, and if both hips are done at once, possible urethral entrapment. Recovery from triple pelvic osteotomy, in most cases, takes approximately three months. Restrictions during the first three months are no off-leash activity like running, no stairs, no slick floors, and no playing with other pets. Prognosis with the triple pelvic osteotomy procedure depends largely on selecting the appropriate candidates but with the right dogs, they should have good to excellent long-term function. Studies do show that the majority of dogs will radiographically progress with arthritis over time but the majority of dogs are never clinical for this arthritis.
Robert Vonau is a board certified veterinary surgeon with a mobile practice in Denver, CO. If you would like to learn more about triple pelvic osteotomy or other topics in veterinary surgery please visit my website at http://www.petsurgerytopics.com.
Thanks for sharing this post with us. I am little bit interested to get more information about Canine Hip Dyplesia. I like to share my opinion on Canine Hip Dyplesia.Normally, canine with CHD seems torpid and don't transfer round a lot. They usually have a tough time getting up when they're sitting, have lameness at the back of their legs, and dislike going up the steps. Canines with CHD additionally are likely to hop like a rabbit when they're operating. The signs of canine hip dysplasia typically do not present themselves till canine are of their center age. Nevertheless, there have been instances when canine as younger as 5 - 6 months exhibited the signs of canine hip dysplasia.Allover this is a great blog. If you want to know more about this visit here Canine Hips.
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