Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Long-term results of arthroscopic elbow surgery in Bernese Mountain
By Samoy, Y C A et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology : V.C.O.T·2013·University Ghent·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Arthroscopic treatment of fragmented coronoid process with severe elbow incongruity. Long-term follow-up in eight Bernese Mountain Dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Eight Bernese Mountain Dogs with elbow problems were treated for a condition called fragmented coronoid process (FCP), which caused pain and lameness. The treatment involved removing the fragments without fixing the underlying joint misalignment. After an average follow-up of about 5.6 years, all the dogs reported either no lameness or only occasional lameness after heavy exercise, and the owners were very satisfied with the results. However, most dogs showed some decrease in elbow movement and signs of worsening arthritis on X-rays. Overall, this treatment option proved to be effective for managing their elbow issues in the long term.
People also search for: Bernese Mountain Dog elbow pain treatment · fragmented coronoid process in dogs · elbow arthritis in dogs
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term treatment results of fragmented coronoid process (FCP) in joints with a radio-ulnar step greater than 3 mm. Treatment of these patients only consisted of fragment removal, without correction of the incongruity. The eight Bernese Mountain Dogs (11 joints) included in this study showed obvious clinical signs of elbow disease and were diagnosed with severe elbow incongruity and concomitant FCP in the time period from 1999-2003. At that time, elbow radiography, computed tomography, and arthroscopy were performed. The mean follow-up period was 5.6 years. The follow-up consisted of a telephone questionnaire combined with a clinical and radiographic re-evaluation at our clinic. The questionnaire revealed that all dogs were either free of lameness or only lame following heavy exercise. One dog sporadically required medication after heavy exercise. The owner satisfaction rate was 100%. The clinical re-evaluation did not reveal any signs of pain or lameness in all cases. Range-of- motion was decreased in nine of the 11 elbows. Radiographs revealed an increase in severity of osteoarthritis in every case.In this case series, arthroscopic fragment removal without treatment of incongruity was demonstrated to be a valuable treatment option and may provide a satisfactory long-term outcome.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23154671/