DARthroplasty

DARthroplasty

DARthroplasty is a procedure involving the reconstruction of the acetabulum of the hip joint using autograft bone fragments usually taken from the hip plate. The operation is an alternative to pelvic osteotomy - a TPO/DPO procedure - when degenerative changes appear in the joint or the patient's age/mass is advanced. The technique of attaching bone grafts to the edges of the joint acetabulum and their interposition is crucial to the success of the procedure.

Darthoplasty is a less aggressive and less restrictive procedure than TPO/DPO osteotomies and can be performed simultaneously on both of the patient's joints. Darthoplasty should be viewed as a procedure to enable joint function and reduce the animal's suffering; it is not a procedure that leads to a permanent cure of a genetic, developmental condition.