Hip dysplasia: coxafemoral abnormalities in neonatal German Shepherd dogs.

1. Hip dysplasia in German Shepherd Dogs, half of which could be expected to develop detectable hip dysplasia by 1 yr of age, was not observed at birth. This was based on the disection and gross examination of the pelves of eighty-seven neonatal pups. Minor ligamentous changes which may suggest beginning hip dysplasia were seen in three pelves from pups 30 days old. The round ligament seems to serve to stabilize the hip joint at birth. This function appears to be lessened and even discontinued when the ligaments lengthen after the first 3 4 months of life. It is suggested that the presence of a “frayed” round ligament may be the result of hip joint instability and undue stress on associated tissues. The rotation angle of the femoral neck on the femur was found to be 0” in most cases. Occasionally an anteversion of 5”, and rarely lo”, was seen. It is believed that the degree of anteversion has little significance as a cause of hip dysplasia in the dog. 2.