Surgical removal of fragmented coronoid processes and fractured anconeal process in an older dog with evidence of severe degenerative joint disease.

A 10-year-old Labrador Retriever was admitted because of severe unilateral (left) forelimb lameness of 6 weeks' duration. Computerized tomography revealed bilateral fragmented coronoid processes (FCP) and unilateral fracture of the anconeal process. Surgery on the left elbow to remove the loose anconeal process and FCP resolved the severe lameness and improved the dog's overall activity, compared with that of the preceding 2 years. Unstable FCP can develop late in life, and a degenerative anconeal process may fracture. Surgical removal of loose fragments in a severely arthritic joint may be beneficial.