Summary

From 1978 to 1989, 132 dogs and 51 cats underwent femoral head and neck ostectomy at the Department of Veterinary Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany. Clinical and radiographic re-evaluations were carried out an average of four years postoperatively in 81 (44%) of the animals, and gait analysis was also done in 17. The functional results were rated good in 38% of patients, satisfactory in 20%, and poor in 42%. However 96% of the owners were satisfied with the results. Kinetic and kinematic measurements showed that although femoral head and neck resection alleviated pain, it resulted in functional deficits in small as well as large breed dogs. These deficits were not vi-sible during rapid movement.