34th Annual Scientific Meeting proceedings

Objectives:

To compare short- and long-term outcomes of dogs with medial coronoid process disease (MCPD) treated by Needle Arthroscopy-assisted Fragment Removal (NA-FR) versus Standard Arthroscopy with Subtotal Coronoidectomy (SA-SC).

Methods:

Medical records of dogs diagnosed with MCPD by CT and treated chronologically over the past 9 years, initially with SA-SC and subsequently with NA-FR were retrospectively reviewed. Analysed data included subjective lameness scores before and after surgery, Canine Orthopaedic Index (COI) scores at time of presentation (NA-FR group) and at long-term follow-up (>12 months, NA-FR and SA-SC groups) and Modified Outerbridge Score (MOS). Quantitative data were expressed as median values. A Wilcoxon matched-pairs test was performed for intragroup comparison and a Mann-Whitney test for intergroup comparison. Significance level was set at p<0.05.

Results:

Thirty-one dogs (43 elbows) underwent NA-FR and 17 dogs (22 elbows) SA-SC. Median weight, age and lameness score were similar between groups. The median MOS was significantly higher in the SA-SC group (p=0.03). A significant decrease in lameness scores was observed at 15 days and 30 days post-operatively in the NA-FR group (p=0.05 and p=0.0002, respectively), but not in the SA-SC group. The median lameness score was significantly higher in the SA-SC group than in the NA-FR group at 15 days and 30 days post-operatively (p=0.04 and p=0.04, respectively). No significant difference was observed in long-term COI scores between groups at a median follow-up of 29 [15–58] months.

Conclusions:

SA-SC showed no functional advantage over the less invasive technique of NA-FR in either short- and long-term outcomes.