Morphological measurements for arthrosis risk in elbow dysplasia: a new method?

M. Schwencke; W. E. van den Brom; A. W. H. Hazewinkel

doi:10.1055/s-0038-1632815

Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Table of Contents

Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 2004; 17(04): 225-231
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1632815

Original Research

Schattauer GmbH

Morphological measurements for arthrosis risk in elbow dysplasia: a new method?

Authors

M. Schwencke

¹Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
W. E. van den Brom

¹Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
A. W. H. Hazewinkel

¹Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands

Abstract

Summary

Elbow dysplasia refers to malformations of the elbow joint, which predominantly occurs in young dogs of large breeds. Labradors are especially affected with fragmented coronoid process and osteochondritis dissecans of the elbow joint that often leads to secondary osteoarthrosis (OA). Mues (16) developed an angle measurement method, presuming that these measurements describe functional aspects of the elbow joints, suitable to characterize the risk of developing OA. The aim of the present studies was to examine whether the morphology of the elbow joint, or the size of the osteophytes in the elbow, is reflected by the measurements. From this study it can be concluded that, in 163 Labradors, the size of the osteophytes, rather then the morphology of the elbow joint, determines the outcome of the angle measurements and thus does not replace the OA-grading system as has been defined by the International Elbow Working Group that is widely in use.

Keywords

Elbow dysplasia - radiography - dogs

Full Text

References

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