Luxating patella, or trick knee, is a condition in which the patella, or kneecap, dislocates or moves out of its normal location. This can be caused by some form of blunt trauma, or may be a congenital defect. Patellar Luxation is a common condition in dogs, particularly small and miniature breeds. The patella or kneecap is a thick, triangular bone which articulates with the femur and covers and protects the front of the knee joint. ... Trauma can represent: A serious and often body-altering physical injury, such as the removal of a limb. ... A congenital disorder is a medical condition or defect that is present at or before birth (for example, congenital heart disease). ... For other members of the dog family, see Canidae. ...
There are several stages in Patellar Luxation, ranging from minor to very serious. The most serious stages require surgery to correct. The surgery involves deepening the groove that the patella sits in. A typical modern surgery operation For other meanings of the word, see Surgery (disambiguation) Surgery (from the Greek cheirourgia - lit. ...
PatellaLuxation is common in most toy breeds and it is therefore advisable that breeders have all their dogs and puppies tested by a vet.
The patella is the equivalent to the human kneecap and part of the stifle structure, and therefore a luxatingpatella is a kneecap that moves out of its normal location.
In patellaluxation the groove is often shallow and this shallow groove prevents the patella from sitting deeply, predisposing it to dislocation.
Dogs who have a luxatingpatella on both hind legs may change their entire posture, dropping their hindquarters and holding the rear legs farther out from the body as they walk.
When the patellaluxates from the groove of the femur, it usually cannot return to its normal position until the quadriceps muscle relaxes and increases in length.
While the muscles are contracted and the patella is luxated from its correct position, the joint is held in the flexed or bent position.
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