luxated hip in dogs and surgery called "open reduction"

  • I am looking for information on a surgical procedure called "open reduction" with internal fixation (held together with pins) for dogs/canines only. I also want this info to be relevant for dogs that have dislocated or luxated hips only, and not luxated patellas or "hip dysplasia" or fractures. I am most interested in how long after the initial injury, can the "open reduction" surgery be performed succesfully, and how successful will it be. Also, what are the complications. Would like this info by 8-9 PM pst tonight because surgery already scheduled for Tuesday.


  • Hello Scottedwards2000, There is very little free online literature found on this exact topic. From what I found, it appears that surgery has a better outcome if performed as soon after the injury as possible. The few examples I was able to locate show that some dogs had a good outcome 24-48 hours after trauma, although the surgery can be performed as late as 3-4 days. Waiting 4-7 days makes complete reduction difficult to impossible. Recovery in the case histories seemed to be complete by 4-8 weeks, ?Craniodorsal hip luxation with an associated saggital fracture through the femoral head usually occurs in mature dogs because in the immature dog the proximal femoral growthplate is the weak link. The two common causes of craniodorsal hip luxation are either a car accident or a fall from height (Wadsworth 1993). If the dog is hit by a car from behind, the animal starts to fall toward the hip to be luxated and the rear leg on this side moves into adduction.? ?Craniodorsal hip luxation with an associated saggital fracture through the femoral head should be treated by open reduction. Closed reduction is not indicated because of the risk of reluxation of the femoral head and the likelihood of developing degenerative joint disease secondary to the damage caused to the articular cartilage and the irritation from the intraarticular fragment.? Of the two dogs in this example, one was operated on 24 hours after an accident, and another 48 hours after a trauma. ?The patient was operated on 24 hours following the trauma? ? Surgery was delayed for 48 hours so that the patient could be stabilized.? ?There were no complications with wound healing. The first dog showed no lameness 6 weeks after surgery and was allowed to gradually return to a normal physical activity 2 months after surgery. In the second patient with the more complex injuries, there was no evidence of lameness 5 weeks after surgery in the left hind leg and full function was restored to the right hind leg 8 weeks after surgery.? http://www.vfu.cz/acta-vet/vol72/pdf/72_261.pdf ?Normally, the dog walked with the operated leg within 3 weeks after the 2nd surgery. Follow-up radiographs have shown no signs of degeneration of the femoral head and osteitis at the rim of the acetabulum.? ?One of the common orthopedic problems in veterinary medicine is a traumatic luxation of the coxofemoral joint. Open reduction in treatment for coxofemoral luxation is often necessary because of chronicity, fractures in the femur or pelvis, or bony fragments or other debris in the acetabulum, and allows the surgeon to remove interposed tissues from the acetabulum and to replace the femoral head under direct observation. Damage to the femoral head and acetabulum can be assessed and defects of the acetabular rim can be corrected surgically. In some cases, suturing the joint capsule and surrounding traumatized tissue may be effective in retaining the reduction. When closed reduction fails, open reduction, capsulorrhaphy, and bandaging may be all that is required to maintain the reduced coxofemoral joint, especially in dogs with unilateral coxofemoral luxation and no other orthopedic injuries7.? ?Minimal complications were associated with the use of a toggle pin, and the reported failure rate was no worse than that for other surgical procedures for coxofemoral repair3. But, we could believe that the combination of the toggle pinning and synthetic capsule technique is more sufficient than toggle pinning alone to prevent coxofemoral joint from recurrent luxation during early weightbearing, regardless of the intraoperative integrity of the repaired joint capsule.? http://www.ksvc.or.kr/journal/issues/17-1/1719-e.pdf ??approximately 50% of animals presenting with pelvic fractures require some form of internal reduction and fixation. The intent of surgery is to provide for a more anatomical result, better function, more comfort during the period of healing, and, hopefully, a more rapid union. In the breeding bitch, open reduction resulting in an anatomically perfect pelvic canal is more likely to allow for normal delivery of pups. Despite perfect reduction, occasionally proliferative callus may prevent normal delivery and necessitate caesarean section. Open reduction of pelvic fractures should be accomplished as soon as possible following the animal's positive assessment as a surgical candidate. Reduction accomplished 24 to 48 hours following the fracture is much simpler than surgery after 3 to 4 days. By the fourth to seventh day, postfracture reduction is much more difficult and complete reduction may be impossible.? ?When an animal's general condition does not allow surgery before 7 to 14 days post fracture, the surgery is best not performed. Usually after 7 to 14 days of immobilization, the fragments cannot be moved and union is proceeding rapidly. While radiographically the pelvis will look unreduced and the end result may lack full normal function, the result will be adequate. Methods of fixation in open repair of the pelvis include intramedullary pins, pins and wires, orthopaedic wire, bone screws, bone plates, and Kirschner wires. Plate and screw fixation is very stable and more suitable for ilial fractures and acetabular fractures. Pin, pin and wire, orthopaedic wire, and Kirschner wire techniques are applicable in any part of the pelvis.? http://www.ivis.org/special_books/ortho/chapter_27/27mast.asp#g ?Acetabular fractures can have a very good prognosis if reduction and fixation are anatomical. Results with less than adequate reduction or fixation can vary from good to poor. Severe degenerative arthritis and limb dysfunction are included in the latter category.? ?COMPLICATIONS Most complications accompanying pelvic fractures relate to soft tissues in the vicinity. Problems with associated nervous, vascular, bowel, or urethral structures are more common than primary bone problems. Most of these problems occur as a result of the fracture, not as a result of poor fixation; therefore, they must be properly evaluated in the preoperative patient. A common complication of acetabular fracture is mild to moderate degenerative joint disease. It must be anticipated. Medical management of this problem is usually gratifying. Pelvic fractures that eventually unite in severely abnormal positions may seriously compromise the pelvic inlet or outlet, resulting in difficulty in defecating or undergoing normal parturition. This problem is more commonly associated with feline pelvic fractures. If surgical correction is required, symphysectomy is necessary, using an insert to enlarge the diameter of the pelvic canal. Good results have been reported using this technique (22,29)? http://www.ivis.org/special_books/ortho/chapter_27/27mast.asp#b ?Fractures of the pelvis comprise about 25% of all fractures associated with vehicular trauma. Of these, the frequency of which 13% to 43% are reported to involve the acetabulum. The best outcome for any fracture involving the acetabulum (or any articular fracture) requires open reduction and internal fixation with meticulous anatomic reduction to promote early return to function and decrease the severity of osteoarthritis. Acetabular fractures are classified as cranial, caudal, central, or comminuted. Physical and radiographic evaluation for shock, concomitant fractures, thoracic and abdominal trauma, blood loss and spinal injury should be performed upon presentation and treated, (when apparent) prior to considering anesthesia and surgical repair of the fractures. Surgical repair of these fractures can be difficult, and many surgeons treat them conservatively. Conservative treatment and surgical approach, techniques, complications and aftercare are described.? The entire article may be purchased for $3.95 http://www.iknowledgenow.com/search.cfm?keywordlist=Acetabulum ?A surgical technique is described for transposition of the sacrotuberous ligament to replace the teres ligament in the treatment of coxofemoral luxation in dogs. Ten dogs with coxofemoral luxation were treated using this technique and all animals regained full limb function within two months of surgery. It is suggested that the technique could be employed in dogs suffering from all types of hip luxations.? The entire article can be purchased for $19.20 http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bva/jsap/2002/00000043/00000008/art00002 ?Dog 1 was referred for lameness examination following a MVA 2 weeks previously and exhibited a crouched stance and stilted hindlimb gait, while dogs 2 to 5 were referred following reluxation subsequent to closed reduction. In all cases, preoperative radiographic examination included films obtained following closed reduction to confirm that the femoral head was well-seated in the acetabulum, as coagulum, granulation or fibrosis may reduce effective acetabular depth and preclude anatomic reduction (Figures 1 and 2). All dogs were candidates for surgical correction of hip luxation.? http://www.ava.com.au/avj/0008/0008.pdf ?Important factors in the treatment of coxofemoral luxation are early reduction and prevention of reluxation until the repair of the joint capsule. A number of techniques for open reduction have been described for the stabilisation of the hip. However, their application to very small dogs and cats is often unsatisfactory because of difficulties in installing screws or wires, and because of the large surgical wound through the dorsal approach. In order to resolve these problems, the authors attempted a method of open reduction applicable to very small dogs and cats. In this method a fine and strong stainless steel rope was used as a temporary artificial ligament during the repair of the joint capsule through the ventral approach.? ?Thirty-two dogs successfully recovered and five dogs suffered a reluxation. The recovered dogs and cats started walking with a slightly stiff gait within several days after surgery and regained their normal gait after the spontaneous breaking of the rope between 3 weeks and 4 months. Postoperative radiographs showed that the reaction of the bones was negligible in most cases (Figure 3). In a few cases, proliferation of the bone was observed at the femoral head, but it is unknown whether this was caused by joint damage resulting from luxation or by the surgical procedure. One patient, a Maltese dog, had a gait that was quite normal 3 years after surgery. In addition, deformation and inflammation of the bone were not observed in radio-graphical and autopsy findings.? ?Open reductions with postoperative fixation are recommended for recurrent luxation. According to several reports,1-3 the failure rate following a single closed reduction is high (50 to 60%). Furthermore, the success rate of open reduction has been low for animals that have undergone repeated closed reduction and reluxation, if the aim of the treatment was to regain smooth motion of the affected legs. Therefore, open reduction should be done even for acute and simple luxation in its early stage. ?A number of open reductions have been described for canine coxofemoral luxation.These include capsulorraphy with trochanteric transposition,4,5 placement of a prosthesis for the ligament of the femoral head,6-10 extension of the acetabular rim with bone grafts or implants,11-15 transverse pinning of the femur to the pelvis either through the acetabulum16-18 or above it,19 placement of a longitudinal pin over the joint,20,21 purse- string sutures,22,23 augmentation of capsulorraphy with auto-genous soft tissues24 and extracapsular suture techniques.25-28? http://www.ava.com.au/avj/dec96/460.htm ?The literature contains many open reduction procedures for reducing and stabilizing hip luxations.(8,10,17,21) Some hip dislocations can be reduced only through open reduction. Other luxations that can be reduced often need additional stability, which can be achieved through one of the open reduction techniques with a concurrent stabilization procedure. The majority of cranial dorsal dislocations of the hip involving normal acetabula and femoral heads that are treated through open reduction can be dealt with adequately by closing the joint capsule, if present, with simple interrupted sutures and placing the animal in an Ehmer sling following surgery. With this procedure, a cranial approach is made to the hip joint and the acetabulum is debrided. Following reduction of the hip, the joint capsule is sewn together and the wound closed routinely. Sometimes the joint capsule may not be present, such as after a prolonged luxation in which the joint capsule has been worn away. In these cases, other forms of internal fixation or stabilization must be used to provide fixation.? http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/saortho/chapter_28/28mast.htm ?Open reduction and internal fixation remains a controversial method of treatment for these fractures. Few investigators have advocated humeral head replacement to treat three-part fractures of the proximal part of the humerus except in elderly patients with comminuted, osteoporotic bone as a salvage procedure4. Even then, the rationale for this treatment is usually its ability to provide secure fixation and simplified rehabilitation, not as a method of preventing avascular necrosis. Furthermore, the category of "valgus-impacted" four-part fractures has been better defined as a subgroup that is amenable to fixation without replacement5. These fractures generally have some medial soft-tissue attachment and thus are not "classic" four-part fracture-dislocations. Indeed, this type of fracture may be thought of as a forme fruste of the four-part fracture-dislocation with lateral displacement6. In any event, the evolving treatment for these fractures is percutaneous reduction and fixation7 rather than open reduction and internal fixation.? http://www.jbjs.org/Comments/2002/c_p_flatow.shtml Illustrations: ?FIG. 27-4 (A) Ventral-dorsal radiograph of a dog pelvis demonstrates bilateral sacroiliac separation, a right caudal acetabular fracture, and left hip luxation and subtrochanteric femoral fracture. (B) Radiograph demonstrates the result of reduction and fixation of the right sacroiliac separation using two interfragmentary screws.? http://www.ivis.org/special_books/ortho/chapter_27/27mast.asp#b If this is not the answer you were seeking, please do not close this question by rating, until you have requested an Answer Clarification. This will allow me to assist you further. Keep in mind the outcome of the surgery depends on the nature of the injury and the age and condition of the dog. I wish your dog the best! Sincerely, Crabcakes Search Terms ============= Dislocated or luxation + open reduction + canine open reduction + canine + hip luxation ?dysplasia open reduction hip surgery + canines open reduction + canine + hip luxation or dislocation


  • Hi. Thanks for your thoroughness. I actually did see the article I copied part of below, on my searches, but I didn't know if the time frame between injury and surgery (related to success) would be the same for a luxated hip as it would be for a fractured bone.?? It seemed that alot of the articles you found were for fractures. A stray, that I am going to foster, got hit by a car. He weighs 50 lbs., but is underweight, and the dr. either suggested an open reduction or an FHO. We decided for an FHO, but today I read some bad things about this procedure. So, that's why I was wondering if the open reduction might be better. Open reduction of pelvic fractures should be accomplished as soon as possible following the animal's positive assessment as a surgical candidate. Reduction accomplished 24 to 48 hours following the fracture is much simpler than surgery after 3 to 4 days. By the fourth to seventh day, postfracture reduction is much more difficult and complete reduction may be impossible.? ?When an animal's general condition does not allow surgery before 7 to 14 days post fracture, the surgery is best not performed. Usually after 7 to 14 days of immobilization, the fragments cannot be moved and union is proceeding rapidly.


  • Hi again, Thanks for the additional information. If you can give me some time, I'll search again. There just seems to be so little available, but I'll give it another try. I applaud you for adopting this poor animal and getting his hip repaired! I'm a dog lover myself. I understand you wanted the information as soon as possible, but I did not see your question earlier, as I was working on another. I'll do further research for you in the morning. Sincerely, Crabcakes


  • Hello again, "The second category is the subluxation of the hip in which the femoral head prefers to reside in the acetabulum but a lateral translation routinely occurs. This is an ideal case for a Femoral Neck Lengthening procedure and/or 20 degree Pelvic Osteotomy procedure or Minor DARthroplasty procedure. Normal function can be expected to return." http://www.slocumenterprises.com/Articles/canine_hip_classification.htm http://www.slocumenterprises.com/Articles/angle_of_subluxation_reduction.htm "Not all dogs do well following FHO surgery and it should be considered a clear second choice. FHO is an alternative surgery to the expensive total hip replacement surgery. While there is significant potential for long-term complications, FHO should be carefully considered within its narrow recommended parameters. A prolonged recovery, muscle atrophy and ?bed sore? type ulcers are frequent problems associated with this procedure. In this procedure the bone is shortened, therefore the gait will be affected. The biceps sling can cause a slight adduction (drawing in toward the centerline) of the affected limb during exercise. Obese or very large dogs will experience some pain, as the muscles cannot totally compensate. On the positive side, this procedure has worked well over the years. The dog is pain free afterwards and learns to walk again, but running and jumping are not done normally again. It is radical and invasive surgery, but under the right circumstances has produced very acceptable results." http://www.geocities.com/schlosser44/CHD.html#surgery "The third surgical option for hip dysplasia is a salvage procedure known as the femoral head and neck excision or ostectomy (FHO). Referred to as a salvage procedure, once this is performed, no other procedure can be done on that same joint. This surgery involves cutting the femoral head and neck off of the femur and removing it. This leaves the dog with a false joint of ligaments, muscle and joint capsule since the ball part of the joint has been removed. Most of the time this surgery is reserved for dogs with severe arthritic changes in their hips or for younger dogs with very unstable or luxating hips. Usually, smaller dogs do better with an FHO but larger dogs can also have good success with it. This surgery is more widely available and is usually the least expensive of the three surgeries but varies from Veterinarian to Veterinarian." http://www.adoptagolden.com/k9stuff/vetcorner/hipsur.htm "You don't say how large your dog is, but that has some bearing on the outcome of the surgery you describe, a femoral head ostectomy. In this surgery, the ball portion of the hip joint (the femoral head) is removed and the bone smoothed, if necessary, so that no bone to bone contact occurs between the pelvis, which contains the now empty socket and the remaining portion of the femur. The joint is not stablized, it is destroyed. While that sounds bad, in almost all dogs under 40 to 50 lbs in weight, this surgery will provide reasonable comfort. A "false joint" forms, consisting of fibrous scar tissue around the bone end. This forms in the muscles over the hip, which fortunately are strong enough to provide some stability. It is less painful than leaving the dislocated femoral head rubbing against the pelvic bone. The shoulder joint is naturally constructed in a similar fashion, although it has more stabilization. In dogs over 50 pounds of body weight there is more concern that the joint will not be functional due to the need for more weight bearing capacity. Most of the time, there is still reasonable comfort even in big dogs but the outcome is more questionable in these dogs. There are alternatives. 1) Stabilization of the joint can be attempted. Many vets are reluctant to do these surgeries because some of them are technically difficult and all of them have a moderate failure rate. It is disconcerting to do surgery, collect a large fee, have to explain the failure to the client and then have to go back and do a femoral head ostectomy anyway. There are several possible stabilization procedures, including pinning the femoral head to the hip socket, moving the portion of the bone where muscle attachment occurs to a different site on the femur to provide more stability, toggle pinning the femoral head and several other stabilization techniques. It may be necessary to ask for referral to a surgical specialist for these procedures as many general practitioners are not comfortable doing them. 2) Total hip replacement. This is an option in some cases when hips can not be stabilized but it is necessary to consider this on a case by case basis. Again, this surgery requires referral to a surgical specialist in most cases. Very few veterinary practices have the capability of doing hip replacement surgery. If an alternative stabilization technique doesn't work, femoral head ostectomy remains an option. You do end up paying for two surgeries when one of the other stabilization methods fail but if they work, the outcome is better for your dog. I am sorry, but I do not know what the success rates of the various surgeries would be as it depends a lot on the individual surgeon's experience and skill. Mike Richards, DVM " http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dhipsurgery.html#Hip%20repair%20-%20femoral%20head%20ostectomy "Usually, the first approach is a closed reduction with the application of an Ehmer or non-weight bearing sling. If this fails, then the options are: 1] Closed reduction and instillation of a Devita Pin, 2] Open reduction and internal stabilization, 3] Femoral head and neck excision arthroplasty [FHO], 4] Triple Pelvic Osteotomy [TPO], and Total Hip Replacement [THR]." http://petsurgeonla.com/nfaq.html "Hip dislocation (also called coxofemoral luxation) is most common in dogs following some sort of trauma, such as being hit by a car, or falling from a significant distance. What happens is the ligaments and tissue surrounding the hip joint that normally help keep the head of the femur inside the "cup" (also called acetabulum) or the hip bones, stretch and or tear. There are 2 general types of treatment for hip luxations - closed reduction and open reduction. Closed reduction means no surgery is necessary. The joint is forced back into the normal configuration using a combination of force, and in some cases, external pinning. Open reduction means surgically fixing the joint. Usually open reduction is necessary if there are complicating factors such as fractures in the bones that make up the joint, if the joint keeps luxating even after closed reduction, or if the joint has been out for a long time." http://www.community.skylos.com/component/option,com_simpleboard/Itemid,59/func,view/id,295/catid,4/ "This surgery is called femoral head arthroplasty, ostectomy or femoral head excision. Over my career, the majority of these cases have been in pets that had their natural joint destroyed by automobile accidents. In these cases, failure to re-align the joint promptly resulted in a ?trick? or painful joint. Other reasons for performing this surgery include a chronically luxating (separated or loose) joint due to hip dysplasia, arthritis of the hip, aseptic femoral head necrosis (Legg Perthe?s Disease or ?dissolving femoral head?), and accidental fractures of the femoral head and neck. The head of the femur receives all of its blood and nutrients through the femoral neck so femoral neck fractures repaired with screws and pins only succeed in about half the cases. In the other half, arthritis and a painful hip result. In these unsuccessful cases, femoral head excision usually allows the pet to regain excellent use of the leg." http://www.2ndchance.info/hipsurgery.htm "After surgery, the animal maintains its knee slightly straighter to compensate for the slight shortening of the femur. For the first 4 weeks after surgery I confine the pet to a small cage and have the owner frequently massage the muscles of the leg. By the fifths or sixth week after surgery I encourage as much light activity as possible to prevent further atrophy (withering) of the muscles of the leg. I have the owners passively flex and extend the leg and continue massages four times a day. Dogs and cats do quite well on three legs so it is difficult to start them using the repaired leg. Sometimes I resort to taping a sock onto their good rear leg to encourage them to use the newly reconstructed joint. I have also found that swimming really hastens recovery and use of the affected leg. Within six months of surgery almost all dogs lope about as if nothing had happened. I love to do this surgery because it is one of the most successful, heartening and emotionally rewarding procedures I perform." http://www.2ndchance.info/hipsurgery.htm I'm wondering is a total hip replacement has been considered for your dog? "Both the ball (head of the femur) and socket (acetabulum) of the hip joint are replaced with prosthetic implants. The new ball is made from a cobalt-chromium metal alloy and the new socket from high-density polyethylene plastic. Special bone cement is used to hold these implants in place." "In reviewing the records of patients that have had THR, a little over 95% of dogs have had good to excellent function with this procedure. These patients have pain-free function, increased muscle mass, no limping, and increased activity." http://www.cah.com/dr_library/sxdysp.html http://dogs.about.com/cs/disableddogs/a/chd_surgery.htm "Over my career, the majority of these cases have been in pets that had their natural joint destroyed by automobile accidents. In these cases, failure to re-align the joint promptly resulted in a ?trick? or painful joint. Other reasons for performing this surgery include a chronically luxating (separated or loose) joint due to hip dysplasia, arthritis of the hip, aseptic femoral head necrosis (Legg Perthe?s Disease or ?dissolving femoral head?), and accidental fractures of the femoral head and neck. The head of the femur receives all of its blood and nutrients through the femoral neck so femoral neck fractures repaired with screws and pins only succeed in about half the cases. In the other half, arthritis and a painful hip result. In these unsuccessful cases, femoral head excision usually allows the pet to regain excellent use of the leg." "In performing this surgery, I incise and peal back the skin of the hip for good visualization of the muscles, ligaments and bone that form the joint. In preparation for the procedure, I locate and mark a large nerve (the sciatic nerve) that runs just posterior to the joint so that I do not injure it. I remove the diseased femoral head with a plier-like tool called rongeurs and file the bone smooth. I relocate surrounding muscle and cartilage as padding between the ends of the bone and then I place several harnesses of stainless steel drilled through the hump (protuberance) on the femur called the greater trochanter. Using suture material and nylon cord that lasts for the rest of the pet?s life, I construct a synthetic joint." "It is amazing how well the body adapts to this surgery. The biggest problem is that results do not tend to be as good when a dog weighs over forty pounds" http://www.men.com/yourlife/pets/331 I'm afraid I have found only this additional information on luxation of canine hips, and NOT including dysplasia! I certainly hope this has helped you! Sincerely, Crabcakes


  • Hi once again! I have continued to search, using additional search terms and still can;t find anything much, except this little blurb: "Management of the patient with hip luxation first begins with overall patient assessment and evaluation for concurrent internal injuries, especially involving the diaphragm and the urinary bladder when automobile injury is a factor. Most luxations occur in a craniodorsal manner, with the femoral head forced dorsal and then cranial to the acetabulum by the force of the injury and the pull of the gluteal muscles. Initial examination findings often show a patient with a limb that is held at an awkward angle, with the knee and foot externally rotated and adducted. Details of the palpable findings can be reviewed in surgical texts, however; a good quality radiograph is diagnostic in all instances, with a both a lateral view and a VD view recommended. Initial treatment recommendations depend upon close examination of the radiograph. It is not uncommon to find a small fracture fragment off the femoral head situated within the acetabular fossa. This usually represents the area where the round ligament's attachment has been fractured off the femoral head. A closed reduction is not suggested in these cases where a fracture fragment is identified, as that will lead to accelerated hip joint DJD and also predispose the closed reduction to failure. In instances where the femoral head anatomy and acetabular anatomy are normal, and there is no fracture fragment noted within the joint, I recommend a closed reduction be done initially, if possible. If the hip can be reduced and does not tend to readily reluxate, I place these dogs in a non weight-bearing, or Ehmer sling for 14 to 21 days. Closed reduction can be expected to be successful in about 50 % of the cases." http://www.vetsurg.com/Newsletter2004.html Regards, Crabcakes







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