Re: [pyrnet] Cruciate Ligament Disease

[JGentzel@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/1/01 9:36:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
lmweisser@home.com writes:


> .  It is not uncommon to see the onset of PL in dogs in
> their teens.  From 10-16 or so months.  It will be interesting if we can
> ever find out if these two onsets (puppy and teen) have different genetic
> mechanisms.  Puppy luxations tend to be medial (as are almost all in small
> breeds) but older luxations tend to be lateral.  Also, there may be some
> link between PL and cruciate ruptures.


Have never seen this in Pyrs in 30 years keeping about 30 dogs much of that 
time.  Get another opinion as "disease" more than implies an active process 
one would think was degenerative in nature by the way the term is used.  We 
also never see PL here  except in one inbred litter from an outside male who 
we later found out was from a line that had the problem so it is not 
surprise.  These dogs and the get have since been eliminated completely from 
our breeding program.  
I am interested in the information offered about different dislocations 
relative age.  Is there some data that one can look at or is this a general 
observation?  To have lateral dislocations involves either a significant bony 
change or an abnormal bony development or possibly an injury.  The injury 
would make the cruciate damage the more severe of the two conditions.  So I 
cannot envision seeing a lateral PL that was caused by a cruciate damage 
condition without seeing severe knee problems as well.  Rehab on lateral 
displacement PL in humans involve selectively strengthening the Quadriceps 
especially the medial quadriceps and more specifically the distal fibers.  
This is of course much more difficult in our dogs, but the physics and body 
mechanics remain essentially the same.  My point being I am not sure how you 
would see the lateral PL in older dogs without diagnosed other observed and 
noted problems i.e. bony damage or lack of normal development or possibly 
internal knee damage (but the knee damage would be the greater problem 
clearly).  

Joe

Joe