Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Local anaesthetic injection helps diagnose elbow lameness in dogs
By Van Vynckt, D et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology : V.C.O.T·2012·University of Ghent·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnostic intra-articular anaesthesia of the elbow in dogs with medial coronoid disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 90 dogs with lameness in one front leg were evaluated for elbow problems, but initial tests didn't give clear answers. To help pinpoint the issue, a local anesthetic called mepivacaine was injected directly into the elbow joint. After the injection, 78 of the dogs showed significant improvement in their lameness, confirming that their elbow was the source of the pain. This method proved effective for diagnosing various types of medial coronoid disease, which can be tricky to identify through standard examinations alone.
People also search for: dog front leg limping · elbow pain in dogs · medial coronoid disease treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Assessment of the effect of intra-articular anaesthesia on lameness caused by medial coronoid disease. METHODS: This study included 90 dogs that were evaluated for the complaint of unilateral forelimb lameness. All dogs were suspected of having an elbow problem for which orthopaedic examination and radiographs showed inconclusive findings. Following a short sedation, mepivacaine was injected intra-articularly to determine whether lameness was caused by a suspected elbow problem. This effect was compared with the final diagnosis based on computed tomography and arthroscopy. RESULTS: Out of 90 dogs, 78 (87%) dogs had an improvement of lameness after injection of the local anaesthetic, which confirmed the elbow joint as the primary source of lameness. A positive response was seen in all types of medial coronoid lesions. A false negative result was observed in 12 dogs (13%). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Medial coronoid disease is represented by different types of pathologic lesions including chondromalacia, fissures, fragments, and medial compartment disease. Diagnosis may be difficult because of limited clinical or radiographic signs or a combination of both. Intra-articular anaesthesia can be a helpful diagnostic tool to localize the problem by eliminating pain and reducing lameness to a great extent in all types of coronoid lesions.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22695770/