Rosie’s story – developmental elbow disease
Three-year-old Fox Red Labrador Retriever Rosie was referred to Fitzpatrick Referrals Orthopaedics and Neurology after lameness in her right leg had sadly begun to worsen.
Under the care of RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Surgery Miguel Solano, Rosie had a CT scan and then arthroscopy of her right elbow.
CT scan
For vets: CT scan sagittal plane showing sign of hypoattenuation and fissure of the right medial coronoid process (right image)
For clients: CT scan of the left and right elbows showing a darker tip of the ulna (medial coronoid) on her right confirming elbow dysplasia
Diagnosis: medial coronoid disease
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that allowed Miguel to look at the joint using a scope which acts as a magnified camera, to identify the cause of the lameness.
Diagnosed with medial coronoid disease, a form of developmental elbow disease, Miguel then performed a procedure called Subtotal Coronoid Ostectomy (SCO) to remove the diseased portion of her ulna.
For vets: Arthroscopy of the right elbow showing signs of inflammation (synovitis) and diffuse low-grade cartilage disease on the tip of the medial coronoid (bottom) and deep longitudinal tracks on the medial aspect of the humeral condyle. Arthroscopy image of the same elbow after subtotal coronoid ostectomy (removal of the diseased portion of the medial coronoid).
For clients: Keyhole surgery (arthroscopy) showing Rosie’s right elbow with signs of inflammation and some degree of cartilage wearing on the tip of the ulna (bottom) and on the humerus (top). Same elbow after removal of the diseased portion of the ulna (medial coronoid) to improve her discomfort.
Rosie recovering in the kennels after surgery.
Here is the lovely Rosie pictured recovering in the wards after her surgery.
She headed home back to her family the same day as her procedure and will continue her recovery with six weeks’ rest and restricted exercise, followed by a rehabilitation programme of physiotherapy and hydrotherapy.