Arthrosis in the elbow joint of young rapidly growing dogs. III. Ununited medical coronoid process of the ulna and osteochondritis dissecans of the humeral condyle. Surgical procedure for correction and postoperative investigation.

A surgical procedure for medial arthrotomy in the elbow joint is described. Surgery was performed in an endeavour to remove an ununited coronoid process and/or a loose piece of cartilage from the humeral condyle. A long term follow up investigation of 58 operated and 20 unoperated dogs was undertaken. The prognosis of dogs operated upon because of osteochondritis dissecans of the humeral condyle, was fairly good; 11 of 15 dogs (73.3%) being reported as showing no signs of lameness. When dogs with the both diagnoses were judged together, the percentage of dogs reported not to be lame was 48.3 among operated dogs and 45 among unoperated dogs. However, dogs operated upon, recovered somewhat sooner than unoperated dogs. Of 38 dogs (58 joints) which were clinically and radiographically re-examined by the author, it was found that severe arthrosis (degree 3) developed in about 60% of the joints, no matter whether surgical treatment was carried out or not. However, 19 of these dogs were not lame, or only revealed lameness occasionally.