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Radiographic evaluation of elbow incongruity in Skye terriers
A K Lappalainen1, T Hyvärinen1, J Junnila2
1Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O.Box 57, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
Objectives:
Aims of this study were to radiographically evaluate elbow congruity and to explore associations between elbow incongruity and lameness in Skye terriers.
Methods:
Mediolateral, 90°-flexed, elbow joint radiographs were obtained for 45 Skye terriers. Elbow joint incongruity was graded mild, moderate or severe by measuring the width of the humeroulnar joint space. A questionnaire provided information on lameness history for each dog.
Results:
In total, 49% (22/45) of the dogs had moderate or severe elbow joint incongruity which associated with lameness. Owner-reported lameness was common: 15/45 (33%) dogs had been lame when less than one year old, and 6 (14%) had been lame at an older age. All dogs presenting with lameness when older than one year had also been lame in adolescence.
Clinical Significance:
Lameness and moderate-to-severe elbow joint incongruity were common in Skye terriers and the two were associated. A novel protocol for radiographic screening of elbow joint incongruity of chondrodystrophic breeds is suggested.
