RESISTENCE OF THE FEMORAL HEAD LIGAMENT IN DOGS

Abstract

The growing number of pets, as well as the increase of their life expectancy and, in many cases, the wrong way to raise them have led to a concurrent increase of a variety of diseases, such as joint pathologies, which demand studies. The aim of this study was to determine the maximum strength of the dog’s ligament of the femoral bone head  until its rupture, in order to establish correlations between charges carried (kg), displacement of the extension grip (mm), and variation of the time (s) by means of electronic instrumentation systems that provide measurement of forces and displacement control. We used 42 mongreel adult dogs with body mass from 4.5 to 26 kg. Initially, we performed biometry, and then the animal’s pelvis was isolated, removing adjacent structures, exposing coxal joint. The pieces were divided into two hemicoxals, the femur was fractured in the middle, and the joint capsule withdrawn to show the ligament of the the femoral bone head, which underwent destructive mechanical testing. From the animals studied, eight showed less bone strength than ligamentous resistance, generating fractured femoral head at least on one side. The dimensions and body mass of the individual interfered in the resistance of the ligament of the femoral bone head. In females, the ligament showed resistance of 22kg ± 8.55 on the right antimere, and 21.18kg ± 8.45kg on the left. In males it was 21.76kg ± 9.3kg on the right antimere, and 23.55kg ± 9.06kg on the left. The main purpose of this study was to provide technical and scientific information to professionals who work in different areas of veterinary medicine and medical engineering to develop technologies for the elaboration of materials that are substitutes for natural tissues.

KEYWORDS: Canis familiaris; Ligamenta capitis ossis femoris; resistance.