Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgical repair of bilateral lateral patellar luxation in a foal using block-recession trochleoplasty and polypropylene mesh reinforcement: Case report and review of literature.
- Journal:
- Journal of equine veterinary science
- Year:
- 2025
- Authors:
- Memarian, P et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Animal Medicine · Italy
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 2-month-old Italian Trotter foal was diagnosed with a rare condition called bilateral lateral patellar luxation, where the kneecap is out of place on both legs. To fix this, veterinarians performed surgery on both knees, using a technique called block recession trochleoplasty and added a special mesh to help support the area. After the surgery, the foal was checked and showed that the kneecap was in the right position and working properly. This case suggests that this surgical method can be effective for treating this condition, especially when there are other bone issues involved. The treatment worked well for the foal.
Abstract
Patellar luxation is a rare orthopedic condition in horses, with congenital lateral patellar luxation being the most frequently reported form. A few sporadic reports have described surgical options for addressing equine patellar luxation. This report details the clinical presentation of a 2-month-old Italian Trotter foal diagnosed with bilateral lateral patellar luxation. Staged surgical correction of both stifles was performed, including block recession trochleoplasty combined with the application of polypropylene mesh for reinforcing medial imbrication sutures. Intra- and post-operative evaluations confirmed proper patellar positioning, tracking, and quadriceps mechanism alignment with positive functional outcomes. This case highlights the potential benefits of block recession trochleoplasty and polypropylene mesh application in managing equine patellar luxation, particularly when underlying bone deformities are present.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41101512/