Orthopaedics: Common Conditions of the Elbow Flashcards
What developmental conditions can affect the canine elbow?
- Medial coronoid disease
- Ununited anconeal process
- Osteochondritis dissecans
- Elbow incongruency
- Humeral intraconylar fissure
What traumatic elbow diseases can affect the canine elbow?
- Condylar fractures
- Proximal ulna/radius fractures
- Luxation/collateral ligement rupture
What degenerative elbow diseases can affect the canine?
- Flexor enthesiopathy
- Osteoarthritis
What does this radiograph show?
A normal eblow
What is the most sensitive modality for diagnostic imaging of the elbow?
Arthroscopy
Can assess cartilage and and can surgically intervene
What is the problem with arthroscopy?
Requires equipment and excertise
What landmarks are used for arthrocentesis of the elbow?
What needle is used?
Immediately distal to medial or lateral condyle
1-1.5” 21-23G
What is analysed about synovial fluid?
- Volume
- Colour/turbidity
- Total cell counts
- Differential cell counts
Cytology
* OA- low cellularity mononuclear cells predominate
* IMPA/BIA- high cellular with neutrophillic inflammation
- What breeds are predisposed to elbow dysplasia?
- What are the 4 disease entities of elbow dyplasia?
- Labradors, Rottweilers, Bernese mountain dogs
- 4 entities
* Fragmentation of the mediaaspect of the coronoid process
* OCD of the medial aspect of the humeral condyle
* United anconeal process
* Elbow incongruity
What causes elbow incongruency?
Short radius
* premature closure of the proximal/distal growth plate
* Contirubtion to MCD
Short ulna syndrome
* Premature closure of the distal ulna physis
* Contribution to MCD and UAP
How is elbow incongruency treated?
Bone lengthening procedures
* Osteosomies to improve
* Most common: short ulna syndrome
* Ulna osteotomy/ectomy
* BODPUO
* Proximal vs distal
Proximal upto 6 months- more commonly distal
What causes medial coronois disease?
Multifactorial
* Genetics
* Nutrition
* Biomechanics- sites of greatest load
* Gender- males increased
What is the pathophysiology of medial coronoid disease?
incongurency:
* Short radius/ulna
Mechanical overload
* Distrurbance of normal endochondral ossification
* Weak points between retained cartilage and subchondral bone
* Subsequent fissure and fracture formation
What does this CT show?
MCD- fracture of medial coronoid process
How is MCD conservatively managed?
Analgesia
* NSAIDs
* Paracetamol/codeine
* Amantadine, gabapentin, tramadol
Others
* Neutraceuticals
* Weight control
* Controlled excercise
* Physio/hydrotherapy