Chili has been seeing us for the last couple of months to help her rehabilitate a partially failed patella stabilisation surgery.
Luxating patella is a fairly common condition, usually seen in small dogs, where the patella (kneecap) moves out of its groove. It’s similar to us dislocating our kneecap (ow!) Bad cases need a surgical repair which involves the veterinarian repositioning the tendon attachment that sits underneath the patella. This reduces the tension on the patella which stops it from moving out of its groove.
Chili had this surgery, but unfortunately, the pin that was holding the tendon in its new position moved. Thankfully it didn’t completely fail, so Chili’s vet referred her to us to see if we could rehabilitate her knee to hopefully avoid another surgery…
It was a delicate process where we had to balance progressing her strength and function so that the surgical site would heal strong while holding back enough so we didn’t overdo it and cause the original surgery to completely fail. 
So far, the news is great! We had our second progress report with Chili this week where we measured her strength, function and gait. You can see part of the report from our gait analysis in the second image.
As they say, a picture paints 1000 words, and this picture helps you understand how Chili is now using her right hind a lot more confidently and is more balanced. 
We still expect to see Chili for another 6-8 weeks to hopefully get the final bit of improvement that she needs before she’s eventually discharged from our care, and her owners can breathe a big sigh of relief! 
