title: Vertical position of the patella in the stifle joint of clinically normal large-breed dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define the vertical position of the patella in clinically normal large-breed dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cadavers of 13 clinically normal large-breed dog.
  
  
  METHODS
  Both hind limbs were harvested with intact stifle joints and mounted on a positioning device that allowed full range of motion of the stifle joint. Lateral radiographic views were obtained with the stifle joints positioned at each of 5 angles (148 degrees, 130 degrees, 113 degrees, 96 degrees, and 75 degrees). Vertical position of the patella through a range of motion was depicted on a graph of mean stifle angle versus corresponding mean proximal patellar position (PPP) and distal patellar position (DPP) relative to the femoral trochlea for each dog. Ratio of length of the patellar ligament to length of the patella (L:P) was determined for each dog. Overall mean, SD, and 95% confidence intervals for L:P were calculated for all dogs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Evaluation of vertical position of the patella through a range of motion revealed a nearly linear relationship between joint angle and PPP and joint angle and DPPF Evaluation of L:P results did not reveal significant differences between limbs (left or right) or among joint angles. Overall mean +/- SD L:P for all dogs was 1.68 +/- 0.18 (95% confidence interval, 1.33 to 2.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The L:P proved to be a repeatable measurement of vertical patellar position, which is independent of stifle angles from 75 degrees to 148 degrees. This measurement could be used as a quantitative method for diagnosing patella alta and patella baja in large-breed dogs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
authors.forename: Allen L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Curtis W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Probst
authors.forename: Charles E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: DeCamp
authors.forename: Diana S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Rosenstein
authors.forename: Joe G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hauptman
authors.forename: Tari L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Kern
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D004285:Dogs / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D010329:Patella / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013264:Stifle / Q000033:anatomy & histology*