Elbow Dysplasia? Cont'd

Today we had an appointment with the Orthopedic surgeon, this to determine whether Philippe is suffering from Elbow Dysplasia (ED) Unfortunately we got bad news; Philippe is diagnosed this the following genetic defects in his elbows:

Fragmented Coronoid Process (FCP) or Loose Processus Coronoideus (LPC)

Fragmented Coronoid Process is a condition in which a small piece of bone on the inner side of the joint has 'broken' off of the ulna bone. This piece of bone irritates the lining of the joint and grinds off the cartilage of the adjacent humerus (similar to having a pebble in your shoe).

Since Philippe is still growning the Orthopedic surgeon wants to wait operating him; with our without the bone fragment Philippe will eventually experience erosion of the joint and develop arteritis at a later state. Depending on the pain and discomfort we need to determine what the best treatment will be for Philippe.

Incongruent Elbow

Bones of the elbow joint grow at different rates so do not fit together properly.



Joint incongruity is usually caused by failure of the radius and ulna to grow at the same rate. Joint incongruity may have a genetic basis, and is generally considered to be a growth problem.

Again, Philippe is still growing and the Orthopedic surgeon wants to wait to see if there is still any improvement in growth in the Radius (underarm). Phillipe will continue growing another 4 to 5 months and therefore we decided to let nature take its course. Operating now is not advisable due to not knowing whether the Radius will catch up with the Humerus (upperarm). If there will be no change in a month anda half or so, we might consider having Philippe operated.

The Orthopedic surgeon told us that both parents might carry the gene but were not affected themselves. It is most likely that other offspring pups from the same litter carry the same gene.

Usually, after the dog is 12 to 18 months of age, the lameness will have become less severe and some dogs will function very well. The long-term prognosis (outlook), however, is guarded. Usually, arthritis will occur as Philippe ages, regardless of the type of treatment.

Call it bad luck if you like but catching this at an early age will increase his changes to outgrow any severe disfunction at an older age.

To be continued ...