Polypropylene Mesh-Augmented Soft-Tissue Reconstruction for Presumed Traumatic Lateral Patellar Luxation in an Adult Pony: A Case Report

Patellar luxation is uncommon in horses, and traumatic lateral luxation in adult equids has rarely been reported. A 3-year-old, 75 kg female Shetland pony presented with severe right hindlimb lameness and minimal weight bearing approximately 2 weeks after a suspected traumatic event. The right patella was fixed lateral to the femoral trochlea and could not be manually reduced during conscious examination. Radiographs confirmed lateral patellar luxation without apparent osseous deformity. Following general anesthesia and surgical exposure, the patella was manually reduced. Treatment comprised lateral retinacular and fascial release, medial capsular imbrication and extra-articular polypropylene mesh augmentation. No osseous corrective procedure was performed. Radiographs obtained 2 days postoperatively confirmed maintenance of reduction. Partial weight bearing was observed approximately 10 days after surgery. No surgical site complications were observed during hospitalization, and the pony was discharged on postoperative day 12. At telephone follow-up 37 days after surgery, the owner reported that the pony was walking more frequently. An owner-provided video recorded on postoperative day 130 showed no overt lameness during walking; trotting was not assessed, and no further clinical examination or radiography was performed. Mesh-augmented soft-tissue reconstruction was technically feasible in this adult pony, although objective follow-up remained limited.