Discussion related to the musculoskeletal system - injuries, post-op, lameness, extremity issues (joint, muscle, tenon, fascia...), axial skeleton issues, etc., as it relates to canine rehabilitation.
I have a patient that has been coming to see us since Sept 2020 @ 5months after suffering an FCE 3 weeks prior that affected his RH. He was doing well with his conditioning appts (o did not want to pursue formal rehab) until his o noticed that something was going on with his LH. He was seen by an ortho specialist who suspects a valgus angular deformity of his LH, "left hind paw rotating outwards/laterally and left tarsal joint deviating inwards." - from the report. Next month he will be going for a CT scan followed by surgery.
His o will be returning for formal rehab post-op and I want to be as prepared as I can be as I have never seen this before. I am curious to know what type of surgery they would be doing (I know everyone does things a little differently) and what rehab will look like for him. He will be ~10/11months at the time of the surgery- is this not too young for such a surgery?
First thought: Yes, the surgical technique will be surgeon dependent and a bit more dependent upon what exactly they found problematic in the leg. That being said, I would guess that the surgeon would be doing some version of an osteotomy (wedge osteotomy perhaps) - cutting a wedge out of the bone in order to straighten it. OR maybe a rotational osteotomy. Not sure what the x-rays look like.
As for age - it's more important to get it sorted now than to have the dog grow more but in a dysfunctional way. So, the thought is do it now and prevent joint issues later (or sooner).
Rehab will be like rehabbing a stable fracture. Your goals are to increase weight bearing, increase strength, maintain ROM, improve function... while being mindful of the stages of bone healing.
If the bone is plated... you could think of it just like rehabbing a TPLO as an example - similar strategies, similar time lines. If it's not plated, then you might need to slow down the progressions JUST A WEE BIT.
PS I would suggest getting a piece of styrofoam (or styrofoam insulation), wrap it in duct tape, and use it to float behind (or infront) of your dogs in the treadmill to prevent lingering in the back of the treadmill or standing on the front plate of the treadmill. (I should do a Four Leg Rehab Minute on that topic!)
