Functional recovery of dogs undergoing rehabilitation after femoral head and neck resection

Abstract

The surgical procedure of resection of the femoral head and neck is a technique frequently used for degenerative and traumatic conditions that affect the coxofemoral joint. In the surgical postoperative period, rehabilitation is relevant for the patient to have pain control, full limb support, improvement in lameness and gain in muscle mass. In this descriptive work, records of patients with postoperative resection of the femoral head and neck, undergoing rehabilitation at a veterinary teaching hospital, were analyzed and selected, with the aim of conducting a retrospective study and reporting functional recovery, recovery time and therapeutic modalities used in selected dogs. Of the 11 selected animals, 63.6% achieved functional recovery within one month of rehabilitation. Of the animals that recovered within one month, 28.6% performed five therapeutic modalities, 28.6% three modalities and 42.8% four modalities, and no dog performed all the modalities chosen in this study. Laser therapy was the only method used in all treated patients. It is concluded that the average total recovery of a dog in the process of Functional Rehabilitation after the femoral head and neck resection procedure, regardless of the diagnosis prior to surgery and the different therapeutic modalities used for each patient, is one month, being evaluated from according to full limb support, pain improvement, lameness improvement and muscle mass gain. It is suggested that controlled studies be carried out, with isolated modalities or with the same treatment protocol, in order to assess whether there are differences in recovery between the different forms of treatment.