One of our patients became one of the first in the world recently to have a second Trochlear Prosthesis performed to manage Patellar Luxation. This patient had the first surgery nine months earlier because of pain associated with cartilage loss on the surface of the patella as a result of Medial Patellar Luxation. When the same signs became evident in the unoperated stifle, the owners had no hesitation about having the same procedure performed on this stifle.
Some dogs with Patellar Luxation have a painful knee due to loss of the cartilage underneath the patella. This causes a grating sensation when the patella dislocates and the friction between the back of the patella and the ridge of the femur causes heat generation and pain.
The Trochlear Prosthesis has a Diamond Like Coating which results in a surface which has a very low coefficient of friction allowing the patella to glide up and down the deep groove without rubbing. This procedure therefore resolves the tendency for the patella to dislocate and relieves the painful contact and resulting friction.
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