Patient: Miley is a 10-year-old, 66-pound American Bulldog

Diagnosis: Bilateral Achilles tendon ruptures

Type of Brace: Non-jointed left hock brace and a jointed right hock brace

Case Study: In February of 2017, Miley underwent surgery for a left Achilles tendon repair. She also had a partial injury to her right Achilles tendon and was getting laser therapy for both tendons. In July of the same year, Miley re-injured her left Achilles. The injury on the left was so severe that she was almost completely lame on that leg. Her surgeon was concerned that the abnormal tendon tissue would not heal with another surgery and recommended custom bracing.

We fabricated a non-jointed hock brace for the left rear leg in August of 2017. Miley acclimated very well to the brace and the family moved forward with a jointed hock brace for the right rear leg. As the injury in the right leg was not as severe, joints were added to the brace to provide Miley with range of motion at the hock joint. The hock braces prevent excessive flexion and reduce stress on the Achilles tendon complex.

The arthritis in her left leg progressed over the years, affecting the fit of the brace. The position of her paw changed which caused her digits to rub on the side of the brace and atrophy caused the brace to be too wide for her leg. Due to these issues, we fabricated a new left hock brace in July of 2021.

Miley can not walk without the help of her two braces. She wears both of them all day, from morning to night. With the braces, she is able to be a normal, active dog, going for walks, fetching ball and playing tug of war with her favorite stuffed animals.