triple pelvic osteotomy
In a triple pelvic osteotomy, the socket (acetabulum) is surgically fractured and re-aligned so it will fit correctly with the ball (femoral head), and then the socket secured back into place using a surgical stainless steel plate. Triple pelvic osteotomies are only performed on dogs with hip dysplasia who have not yet developed arthritis around the impacted joints. Thus, this surgery is generally only performed on young dogs. Post-surgery, your dog will require several months of severely restricted activity.

femoral head and neck ostectomy
A femoral head and neck ostectomy (FHO) is a procedure in which the ball (femoral head and sometimes neck) is permanently removed. In place of the ball, scar tissue forms and the scar tissue connects up with the socket portion of the joint. For small and medium-sized dogs, this “false joint” mechanism is strong enough to act as a replacement for the normal ball and socket joint mechanism present in dogs without hip dysplasia. Thus, FHO surgeries are generally only performed on dogs whose ideal adult weight will be below approximately 55 lbs. As with a triple pelvic osteotomy, FHO is only appropriate for dogs who have hip dysplasia without arthritis. FHOs are generally less expensive surgical procedures to perform, and are often used when owners cannot afford other surgical procedures. FHOs require a month or two of post-operative recovery.

pectineus myotomy
A pectineus myotomy is the removal of some muscle tissue surrounding the impacted joint. Although sometimes still performed, this procedure has fallen out of favor because it does not correct the dysplasia and often provides only short-term pain and discomfort relief. The recovery time for this procedure is approximately a week.

total hip replacement
In a total hip replacement, your dog is given an artificial hip or hips. This surgery has been performed with good results for almost two decades, and is often effective for dogs whose hip dysplasia has progressed to arthritis as well. Full return to function should occur in 12 weeks.

DARthroplasty
A DARthroplasty is a newer procedure in which bone grafts from other areas of your dog’s pelvis are affixed to the rim of your dog’s socket (acetabulum) in order to create a deeper socket for the ball joint. A DARthroplasty may be performed on dysplastic dogs who have already begun to show some signs of arthritis. Because this is a more recently developed procedure, there has not yet been enough data to determine conclusively the long-term efficacy of this procedure. However, many orthopedic surgeons have reported poor results after performing this surgery.

juvenile pubic symphysiodesis
A juvenile pubic symphysiodesis (JPS) is another relatively new procedure. A JPS can only be performed on puppies approximately five months and younger. Since hip dysplasia often does not develop until a dog is older than 5 months, JPS is often used as a preventative measure in puppies with a strong family history of dysplasia. In a JPS, the pubic bone’s growth is stopped. Halting the growth of the pubic bone while allowing the rest of the pelvis to continue to grow makes the puppy’s hip socket rotate slightly downward and outward. This rotation allows the ball joint to remain more firmly in place in the socket. Recovery time is approximately 24 hours. Because, as with DARthroplasty, this is a new procedure, there has not yet been enough data to determine with a degree of certainty the long-term of efficacy of this procedure.