Elbow dysplasia is a very broad term that encompasses several conditions that can affect the canine elbow including:
- Medial Coronoid Process Disease (formerly known as fragmented medial coronoid process)
- Ununited Anconeal Process (UAP), often seen in breeds like Labradors
- Osteochondrosis/Osteochondritis
- Dissecans (OC/OCD)
- Elbow Incongruity
- Any combination of the above conditions
Dogs with any of these issues have a more significant risk of developing canine elbow osteoarthritis, which influences the surgical treatment options. There are various surgical approaches to treat elbow dysplasia in dogs, such as:
- Elbow Arthroscopy for removing a fragmented medial coronoid process
- Elbow Arthroscopy for removing or reattaching an ununited anconeal process (UAP) in affected dogs
- Elbow Arthroscopy to address osteochondritis dissecans by resurfacing the OCD lesion, sometimes using synthetic implants or allografts
- Ulnar Osteotomy or Humeral Osteotomy to relieve pressure on affected areas
- Partial or Total Elbow Replacement.
Our team has extensive experience performing these surgical procedures for elbow dysplasia in dogs. The first essential step is a thorough diagnosis—such as elbow dysplasia radiographs—to understand the specific elbow condition in your dog. A complete evaluation allows us to choose the most effective treatment, whether it involves elbow dysplasia surgery or other methods.
