34th Annual Scientific Meeting proceedings

Introduction:

Congenital type I luxation of the elbow is a rare condition in dogs. This retrospective series aims to describe surgical management by radial head ostectomy (RHO) and its mid- and long-term outcome.

Material and Methods:

Puppies with uni- and bilateral type I congenital elbow luxation (CEL) were included. Due to the severity of joint changes, RHO was performed. Management of the second side, if needed, was deferred for 2-3 months. Long-term follow-up was carried out by phone interview with the owners.

Results:

Two dogs with unilateral and two dogs with bilateral CEL (median age: 5 months (4-8 months); median body-weight: 17kg (6.1-32kg)) were included. All dogs initially had severe weight-bearing lameness, limited range of motion, and pain on elbow manipulation. Radiographs and CT showed caudolateral luxation of the radius, distortion of the medial and cranial aspect of the proximal part of the radius, and convex radial head. All dogs had minor complications (seroma formation) 15 days postoperatively and moderate lameness until the 1-month follow-up. In three dogs, follow-up CT or radiographs, performed up to 6 months postoperatively showed persistence of humero-ulnar incongruence and bone proliferation proximal to the ostectomy site. Six months after surgery, all owners reported rare episodes of slight lameness.

Discussion/Conclusion:

Radial head ostectomy should be considered in chronic cases where severe remodelling renders joint reduction impossible. This therapeutic option provided satisfactory outcomes 6 months postoperatively in all dogs. In addition, this is the first report describing bilateral RHO in dogs with type I congenital elbow luxation.