Could a New Hip Sling Improve Recovery After Hip Luxation? New Study Puts It to the Test

Every small animal veterinarian has wrestled with the same challenge after reducing a coxofemoral luxation: keeping the hip in place long enough for healing to occur.For decades, the traditional Ehmer sling has been the go-to method for maintaining hip flexion, abduction, and internal rotation following closed reduction. While effective, anyone who has managed these patients knows the downsides—slipping bandages, skin irritation, patient frustration, and owners struggling to keep the sling in place.A new study published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research explored whether a commercially available vest-based sling could offer a better alternative.

The results suggest it may position the hip more effectively—but getting dogs to tolerate wearing it may be another story.

Why the Ehmer Sling Matters

Hip luxation accounts for approximately 90 percent of joint luxations in dogs, with most involving craniodorsal displacement of the femoral head. Closed reduction remains the recommended first-line treatment in many cases, and external coaptation using an Ehmer sling is commonly used afterward to help reduce the risk of reluxation.The sling works by maintaining the hip in flexion, abduction, and internal rotation—positions believed to improve femoral head stability while surrounding soft tissues heal.

Despite its widespread use, surprisingly little objective data exist describing exactly how well traditional Ehmer slings position the limb.

Putting Two Slings Head-to-Head

Researchers enrolled 12 healthy medium- and large-breed client-owned dogs and fitted each dog with both a traditional adhesive-tape Ehmer sling and a commercially available neoprene vest-based sling.Using goniometry, investigators measured hip flexion, abduction, and internal rotation while the dogs stood with each device applied.Dogs that tolerated the vest system were then sent home wearing the sling for up to 14 days so investigators could evaluate real-world comfort and compliance.

Better Positioning…

The vest-based sling produced significantly greater hip flexion and greater hip abduction than the traditional Ehmer sling.Interestingly, internal rotation—the third major positioning goal—was similar between both devices.The findings suggest the newer sling may place the hip in a position theoretically more favorable for maintaining reduction following luxation.Whether that improved positioning ultimately translates into lower reluxation rates remains unknown.

…But Dogs Weren't Fans

While the biomechanics looked promising, patient acceptance proved to be the study's biggest obstacle.Only one dog successfully completed the intended 14-day wear period. Several dogs refused to walk while wearing the vest. Others developed anxiety, experienced excessive slippage, repeatedly soiled the device, or simply removed it themselves.Owner compliance also became an issue in several cases. Overall, tolerability was poor enough that most dogs did not complete the study as planned.

What Does This Mean for Clinicians?

The findings highlight an important reality in veterinary medicine.The "best" orthopedic device isn't necessarily the one that creates the ideal joint angle—it is the one patients will actually tolerate.The vest-based system may provide improved limb positioning while avoiding some of the skin complications associated with traditional tape slings, but those potential advantages could be offset if patients refuse to ambulate or repeatedly remove the device.Researchers emphasize that this study involved healthy dogs, not dogs recovering from painful hip luxations.

Clinical patients receiving analgesics and recovering from surgery or reduction may behave differently, and future studies will be needed to determine whether tolerability improves in actual orthopedic cases.

The Bottom Line

For now, the traditional Ehmer sling remains the standard of care.However, this study provides valuable objective data showing that vest-based systems can achieve even greater hip flexion and abduction than traditional techniques while maintaining comparable internal rotation.Whether those biomechanical advantages outweigh the practical challenges of patient compliance remains unanswered. As veterinary orthopedics continues to evolve, studies like this remind us that successful treatment depends not only on biomechanics but also on the willingness of our patients—and their owners—to live with the devices we prescribe.