Course Description: In Clinical Orthopedic Rehabilitation, students will learn to complete a patient-centric specialist-level veterinary rehabilitation orthopedic evaluation. Lameness from a weight distribution perspective and how it relates to compensatory issues will be covered. Potential diagnostic options and the clinical reasoning behind surgical interventions vs. non-surgical treatments will be discussed. Students will develop diagnosis-specific rehabilitation plans including activity modifications, tissue-specific treatments, and home exercises for medial shoulder instability, elbow dysplasia, carpal hyperextension, hip dysplasia, cruciate disease, and common calcaneal tendon injury. Recent evidence-based research on gait analysis and anatomy-based kinesiotaping and treatment recommendations will be covered.

The kinesiotaping portion of this course will include lectures followed by hands-on wet labs designed to reinforce the practical application of learned skills. The theory behind kinesiotaping and the anatomy-based application of K-tape will be covered. Students will learn K-tape application techniques and therapeutic exercise for muscle strains, carpus hyperexternsion, hip dysplasia and stifle instability including cruciate deficiency and patella luxation.