luxating patella

can anyone tell me what this is my friends dog has been diagnosed with it i heard from a friend of a friend and i dont really know much about it

so nobody knows what it is then

This might help
What is a luxating patella?
The patella, or knee cap, should be located in the centre of the knee joint. The term "luxating" means out of place or dislocated. Therefore, a luxating patella is a knee cap that moves out of its normal location

Katy, it's a slipped kneecap

A clear explanation, with diagrams, can be found here: http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/patella.htm
This page also has links for further information.

Sometimes they can be severe and an operation will be needed but more often as long as the dog is warmed up and not let to excercise too quickly they can get along fine. Our old Rosie had 2 in her back knees and as long as we massaged her legs and started off her excercise slowly she was fine, if it did slip simply lifting her up by placing hands under her arms and dangling her up and down a few times so her back legs were stretched gently would fix the problem. It was fairly easy to do this with her as she was a small dog it may be harder with a larger breed. It was also important we found not to let her run and suddenly change direct or leap off anything to tall. She never let it stop her and was a very active and happy doglet.

thanx guys

My staffy Archer suffered with this.I'm afraid it wasn't good news for us because after 3 operations to try and sort it he was still in pain and we decided the best thing was to let him go...he was 4 years old and endured nearly 2 years of surgery and recovery.
This I beleive is unusual as it can usually be treated.
I hope every thing goes well for your freind and her dog
Nikki