Concomitant occurrence of hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs

Cranial cruciate ligament disease (CCLD) and hip dysplasia (HD) are the most common disorders of the hindlimbs in dogs, but little evidence about the combined occurrence of these diseases has been published so far. The purpose of this study was to learn more about the influence of HD on the develop-ment of CCLD. During the period 2016-2020, 465 dogs (12.36%) were diagnosed with CCLD at the Orthopedics Department of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Ghent University). In this group, 17% showed concomitant HD. In the dogs with HD, the cranial cruciate ligament rupture in the first stifle occured at a younger age than in the dogs with normal hips. In addition, the dogs with HD were more likely to develop a bilateral cranial cruciate ligament rupture. Furthermore, in case of unilateral HD, the dogs were at greater risk of developing a cranial cruciate ligament rupture in the contralateral knee. The results emphasize the importance of keeping dogs with HD limp-free, in order to prevent overuse of the knees.