Pulsed Electromagnetic Field for the Treatment of Canine Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease

The purpose of this paper is to report the results achieved with the biophysical stimulation in the conservative treatment of Legg-Calvé-Perthes (LCP) disease in dogs. Three female Portuguese Podengo puppies, from the same parents were presented for investigation of right hindlimb lameness in different times. The clinical and radiographic exams of the hip revealed the LCP disease in different stages in all puppies. External coaptation was applied in one of them, while biophysical stimulation was applied in another one, both of them in early stage of disease. Surgical treatment was performed only in the advanced stage one. The present report signals the improvements of clinical findings and of radiographic signs of LCP disease treated with pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF). It induces to consider this treatment in more dogs with LCP in early stage, investigating on PEMF effectiveness. Furthermore, it leads to suppose the LCP disease as a hereditary condition, not previously studied in this breed