The purpose of this retrospective study was to report the occurrence of lateral patellar luxation in poodles. The animals were referred to the Orthopedics Service of the Veterinary Hospital, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, - Jaboticabal Campus, São Paulo, Brazil, twelve client-owned poodles, seven females and five males poodles ranging in age from three to nine months. Clinical examination showed lameness, pain and deformities of the affected limbs. Surgical trochleoplasties were performed with medial retinacular overlap and medial tibial tuberosity transposition. The animals recovered their normal activity within a period of one to two weeks after surgery. Although this was a rarely occurring pathological condition in poodles, surgical repair was easy to execute because of its similarity to correction of medial patellar luxation. Lateral patellar luxation in small dogs is rare and, when present, is of congenital origin, at times progressing to marked functional impotence of the affected limbs.
stifle joint; patellar luxation; dog
