Canine Thoracic Costovertebral and Costotransverse Joints: Three Case Reports of Dysfunction and Manual Therapy Guidelines for Assessment and Treatment of These Structures

The costovertebral and costotransverse joints receive little attention in research. However, pain associated with rib articulation dysfunction is reported to occur in human patients. The anatomic structures of the canine rib joints and thoracic spine are similar to those of humans. As such, it is proposed that extrapolation from human physical therapy practice could be used for the assessment and treatment of the canine patient with presumed rib joint pain. This article presents 3 case studies that demonstrate signs of rib dysfunction and successful treatment using primarily physical therapy manual techniques. General assessment and select treatment techniques are described.