Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How to diagnose shoulder instability in dogs and cats?
By Bardet, J F·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·1998·Referral Surgical Practice, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnosis of shoulder instability in dogs and cats: a retrospective study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs and one cat were brought in for chronic lameness in their front legs, which was linked to shoulder instability. During examinations, veterinarians found that many of these pets had pain in their shoulder joints, and some showed signs of degenerative joint disease. The diagnosis was confirmed using special tests while the pets were under anesthesia. This study highlights that shoulder instability is a common cause of lameness in pets, and arthroscopy (a type of joint surgery) can help identify any additional issues inside the joint.
People also search for: dog front leg lameness · cat shoulder pain · dog shoulder instability treatment · chronic lameness in dogs · signs of shoulder problems in pets
Abstract
The glenohumeral joint is a remarkable articulation providing the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body. Glenohumeral stability results from several mechanisms, including those that do not require expenditure of energy by muscle ("passive mechanisms") and those that do ("active mechanisms"). Glenohumeral instability has been recognized in 47 shoulders of 45 dogs and one cat. Cases are presented because of chronic foreleg lameness. Shoulder joint pain is obviated by the orthopedic examination. Only 57% of the involved shoulders presented with degenerative joint disease. Signs of instability are recognized under anesthesia using a craniocaudal or mediolateral drawer sign or both. This report describes the radiographic and arthroscopic findings of shoulder instability. Arthroscopy of the shoulder joint allows identification of all intra-articular pathologies. Shoulder instability, not fully recognized in the past, appears to be the most common cause of shoulder lameness in the dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9527430/