Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgery using special suture helps dogs with congenital elbow
By Chong, Wye Li et al.·Published in American journal of veterinary research·2025·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The use of radioulnar ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene suture shows promise in surgical treatment of dogs with type 1 congenital elbow luxation.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Four young dogs, around 20 weeks old, were brought in for surgery due to a condition called congenital elbow luxation, where the elbow joint is dislocated. The surgeries involved using a special type of suture to help correct the dislocation, and in some cases, additional procedures were done to reshape the bone. After the surgeries, three of the dogs regained full use of their legs, while one dog had acceptable function. Overall, the use of this suture technique showed promising results for treating this elbow issue in dogs.
People also search for: dog elbow luxation treatment · puppy elbow surgery recovery · congenital elbow problems in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the surgical outcomes of 4 dogs that received corrective surgery for type 1 congenital elbow luxation (CEL). ANIMALS: 4 client-owned dogs from a private referral practice (February 2022 through June 2023). CLINICAL PRESENTATION: 4 dogs presented with left-sided type 1 CEL. Median age was 20 weeks, and median weight was 13.4 kg. RESULTS: 3 cases showed caudolateral luxation and 1 case showed caudal luxation of the radial head. Two cases were corrected using open reduction and radioulnar ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) suture. Two cases were corrected by closing radial wedge ostectomy, followed by open reduction and radioulnar UHMWPE suture. Intraoperative complications included incomplete reduction of the radial head in 1 case. No major complications were recorded. Minor complications included dystrophic mineralization at the caudal aspect of the proximal ulna in 2 cases. Full function was achieved in 3 dogs, whereas acceptable function was achieved in 1 dog at a median of 499.5 days. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This case series supports that using radioulnar UHMWPE suture, either alone or combined with a closing radial wedge ostectomy, may be an effective way to maintain humeroradial joint reduction in type 1 CEL, with encouraging functional outcomes.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40997887/