Surgical repair of coxofemoral luxation in a horse

Coxofemoral luxations are uncommon in horses; however, they most often occur in young foals or ponies. Closed reduction has been reported to have limited success in horses, and even when successful, persistent lameness and osteoarthritis are common sequelae. Femoral head and neck ostectomy has been used as a salvage procedure, but most horses continue to be lame, and limb shortening and upward fixation of the patella are common. Surgical techniques that are used successfully in small animals for repair of coxofemoral luxations may be effective in young or small-breed horses.