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Archive Case #178: Canine Medial Patellar Luxation

Dog veterinary case - Medium - August 28, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A small dog is presented for an intermittent skipping gait in one hindlimb.
  2. The owner says the dog occasionally carries the leg for a few steps and then returns to normal.
  3. There is no history of major trauma.
  4. Orthopaedic examination allows the patella to be luxated medially with the limb extended.
  5. The dog has minimal joint effusion and remains comfortable between episodes.
  6. Developmental instability of the patella is a common cause of intermittent hindlimb skipping in small breed dogs.

Diagnosis

Canine Medial Patellar Luxation

This case is most consistent with Canine Medial Patellar Luxation because the dog has a classic intermittent skipping gait with a patella that luxates medially on examination. The most important clues are the small-breed signalment and episodic nature, which make cranial cruciate rupture less likely.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this dog case supports the provided diagnosis, Canine Medial Patellar Luxation, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A small dog is presented for an intermittent skipping gait in one hindlimb.
  2. Clue 2: The owner says the dog occasionally carries the leg for a few steps and then returns to normal.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: There is no history of major trauma.
  2. Clue 4: Orthopaedic examination allows the patella to be luxated medially with the limb extended.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: The dog has minimal joint effusion and remains comfortable between episodes.
  2. Clue 6: Developmental instability of the patella is a common cause of intermittent hindlimb skipping in small breed dogs.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this dog case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Canine Medial Patellar Luxation?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Canine Medial Patellar Luxation?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.