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  <content>&lt;h2&gt;Patella Luxation &amp;ndash; &amp;ldquo;Dislocating kneecap&amp;rdquo;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The patella (knee cap) doesn&amp;rsquo;t sit in the centre of the groove on the lower femur. This is because three structures are not in a straight line:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bone at the front of the tibia&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The groove in the lower femur&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The muscles and tendons pulling on the patella&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p&gt;When the patella is out of the groove, the groove becomes shallower, or the ridge may be worn away, making the problem worse.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Causes include genetic factors, trauma or ligament problems but often cannot be tracked down precisely in any one dog. May dogs may have a combination of several causes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The patella rubs on the edge of the ridge or the rough bone to the side of the ridge. This wears away the cartilage, eventually causing pain and arthritis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h6&gt;Treatment:&lt;/h6&gt;
&lt;ol&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Realign bone at front of tibia to match the muscle and femur (&amp;ldquo;tibial tuberosity transposition&amp;rdquo;). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deepen groove of femur (&amp;ldquo;sulcoplasty&amp;rdquo;)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Loosen soft tissue on tight side (&amp;ldquo;release&amp;rdquo;)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tighten soft tissue on loose side (&amp;ldquo;imbrication&amp;rdquo;)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If ligament damage is also present, different or additional surgical treatments may be required (see Rupture of the Cranial Cruciate Ligament - Tibial Tuberosity Transposition Advancement).&lt;/p&gt;</content>
  <created-at type="datetime">2009-08-27T14:42:45Z</created-at>
  <header-quote>Just to say thank you. Cassie the Boxer is back running at top speed after her elbow operation. It's great to see her running around again. Thank you so much!...</header-quote>
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  <meta-title> Veterinary Surgery | Knee and Hip Pathology</meta-title>
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  <slug>patella_luxation</slug>
  <title>Patella Luxation</title>
  <updated-at type="datetime">2009-08-27T15:40:04Z</updated-at>
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