How Research & Custom Bracing Helped Diego Walk Again
***This success story is based on a research project done by Kirsten Hausler, a Veterinary Researcher in Germany. The original research was published here. A version translated to English can be found here.
Dealing with a torn cruciate ligament (often compared to an ACL tear in humans) is a scary moment for any pet parent. While surgery is the most common recommendation, what happens when your dog is older or if general anesthesia is simply too risky?
A recent case study by veterinary physical therapy expert Kirsten Hausler highlights an incredible conservative (non-surgical) approach. Through physical therapy and a custom knee brace, a dog who couldn't have surgery was able to walk normally again—and the clinical data proves exactly how it works.
Meet Diego
Diego is a 9-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog who tore his cruciate ligament while chasing a squirrel. Because of his age and a disastrous past experience with anesthesia, surgery was off the table. His veterinary team decided to try a non-surgical route.
The Science of the Limp: How Dogs Shift Their Weight
When a dog hurts their knee, they don't just limp—they completely shift their body weight to avoid pain. In a healthy dog, weight is distributed relatively evenly. But when Diego was first injured, researchers used a special high-tech treadmill to measure the exact pressure of his paws.
The results showed a massive weight-bearing shift:
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Diego was putting only 30% of his body weight on his injured back leg, while his healthy back leg was forced to take on 55% of the load.
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To compensate for his painful hind leg, he also put dangerous strain on his front legs, with his right front paw taking on a whopping 74% load!
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This severe weight-bearing shift threw his whole body off balance, took a massive amount of energy, and caused a 57.3% asymmetry in his hind legs.
The Solution: A GoHeroGo Stifle Brace
Diego's treatment started with therapies to reduce swelling, like laser and shock wave treatments, followed by careful underwater treadmill exercises. But the major turning point was fitting him with a custom Goherogo knee orthosis (brace).
Getting the brace was a stress-free process for Diego. His vet took a simple mold of his leg in about 20 minutes. That mold was shipped to the USA, and within two weeks, Diego had a custom-made knee brace designed to perfectly fit his leg.
Validating the Brace: The Proof is in the Paws
How do we actually know the brace is supporting the dog? By measuring those weight-bearing shifts again!
Using the instrumented measuring treadmill, the veterinary team was able to capture hard, objective numbers to prove the brace was doing its job:
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After just three weeks of using the brace, Diego's hind leg asymmetry dropped by more than half, falling to just 10%.
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After four months, the asymmetry between his back legs dropped to an incredible 2%.
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The treadmill data showed that the weight load on his injured leg steadily increased over time.
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Because the brace stabilized the bad knee, Diego felt comfortable bearing weight on it again, which relieved the heavy strain on his other three healthy legs and leveled out his body's center of gravity.
By objectively tracking how Diego shifted his weight back to normal, the study validates that the stifle brace actively supports the knee, encourages the dog to use the injured leg, and restores their natural balance. Today, Diego can go on much longer walks and moves safely through his everyday life without pain.
