One evening, my thirteen-year-old cat, Midnight, jumped onto my desk while I was studying. As she explored my papers, she accidentally slipped backward off some that were hanging over the edge. Midnight landed awkwardly on the floor below, limping away with an obvious deformity in her left leg. After a brief yowl, her leg seemed to return to normal, but I knew something was wrong.
The next day, we visited our local vet, who conducted an X-ray. Midnight was diagnosed with a left medial patella luxation, which is a dislocation of the kneecap. Her vet provided her with pain relief and then referred Midnight to Dr Naomi Boyd (Specialist in Sports Medicine & Physiotherapy) at SASH North Ryde, for further evaluation and treatment options.
Dr Naomi discussed various treatment approaches in detail. Initially, I opted for a non-surgical approach. We confined Midnight to a playpen for a few days to rest her leg and prevent her from jumping. However, after this period of rest, her patella continued luxating intermittently. Over the next four months, Midnight required additional short periods of confinement and jumping restrictions. Dr Naomi also prescribed strengthening exercises, which we diligently followed. Despite our efforts, Midnight’s luxating patella got worse.
Eventually, I decided to pursue surgery after consulting with Dr Naomi and Dr Richard Looi. It was a difficult decision, as Midnight has multiple medical conditions and one of her medications, [a corticosteroid medication], can weaken bones. However, with the expert advice of her SASH specialists and local vet, I felt confident moving forward. In April 2025, Dr Martin Havlicek performed the surgery at North Ryde. He deepened the groove where the patella glides, removed excess bone, tightened the soft tissues supporting the patella and repositioned the patella tendon, securing it with fine stainless steel pins.
Midnight stayed at the hospital overnight after the surgery. Once home, she was fully confined to her playpen for two weeks and then intermittently for several months to prevent jumping and allow her bones to heal. Two weeks post-surgery, we began rehabilitation with Caitlin (Physiotherapist) and Dr Naomi at SASH North Ryde. They provided a tailored rehabilitation program and closely monitored her progress to prevent stiffness and rebuild her strength.
At nine weeks post-surgery, an X-ray revealed that Midnight’s bones were not fully healed due to her age and the effects of medication. This required an extended period of restricted activity until her next X-ray at 4.5 months. During this time, we continued with her rehab team visits and her home rehabilitation program, which included twice-daily walking, strengthening, and stretching exercises.
After months of hard work and dedication, Midnight made a remarkable recovery. She can now jump effortlessly and even enjoys her zoomies again. I am incredibly grateful to the surgical, rehabilitation, and medical teams at North Ryde for their expertise and care, which gave Midnight a new lease on life.
– North Ryde NSW
