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Elbow

Arthroscopy can provide important information for the diagnosis of elbow injuries. Frequently occurring conditions in the elbow are medial coronoid disease and OCD of the medial humeral condyle. Medial coronoid disease is the new collective term for injuries to the medial coronoid process and therefore includes both a crack (= fissure) and a loose piece of the medial coronoid, whether or not combined with cartilage damage. In some cases, OCD (a loose flap of cartilage) may also be present. Diagnosing these conditions is often difficult, especially in the early stages, because the cartilage lesions themselves and the incipient secondary osteoarthritis are difficult to see on X-rays. Even at a later stage, this secondary osteoarthritis is used as a basis for diagnosis without the primary injury being visible. The radiographic diagnosis is then made at a stage when, unfortunately, degeneration has already occurred. Arthroscopy allows injuries to be detected at an early stage. Comparative studies between radiographic and CT findings on the one hand and arthroscopic findings on the other showed that arthroscopy was the most accurate technique for detecting an injury to the medial coronoid. With a negative X-ray and a negative CT scan, we were still able to observe a fragment at the level of the coronoid process using arthroscopy. This improves the prognosis after surgical treatment because there is no osteoarthritis at that point. Furthermore, exploratory arthrotomy can be avoided in cases of doubt. Elbow arthroscopy is therefore recommended for any young dog with clinical elbow problems, even if no abnormalities are visible on X-rays.

Treatment can be carried out immediately after the arthroscopic diagnosis. This requires small but strong instruments due to the limited space in the joint.

More information about:

• Elbow dysplasia
• Medial coronoid disease
• OCD or osteochondrosis dissecans
• LAP or loose anconeal process
• Elbow incongruity: a non-fitting joint
• Flexor enthesopathy
• Incomplete fusion of the humeral condyle