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Name
Ununited Anconeal Process, Canine
Short Description
Ununited anconeal process (UAP), elbow dysplasia
Affected Animals: Dogs.
Overview:
While a normal dog is growing, a piece of the
bone in its elbow called the anconeal process fuses with the ulna in
the front leg. Dogs that develop an ununited anconeal process fail
to form this union. The result of the lack of fusion is instability
and irritation in the joint, which leads to arthritis and mild to
severe lameness in the affected front limb or limbs. Ununited
anconeal process is one of three diseases which are grouped under
the heading elbow dysplasia; the other two are osteochondrosis of
the elbow, and fragmented medial coronoid process.
A disease of large and giant breed dogs, ununited anconeal process
most often affects the German shepherd. The problem also is seen in
the Saint Bernard, Irish wolfhound, bassett hound, Newfoundland,
Great Pyrenees, Labrador retriever, Great Dane, and others.
Clinical Signs: Lameness that worsens with exercise; abduction of
the elbow; external rotation of the foot; effusion; thickening;
crepitus; and pain in the affected elbow.
Symptoms: Lameness of one or both forelimbs; thickened
elbows.
Description:
Ununited anconeal process is a developmental
disease of large and giant breeds that affects the elbow joint. In
UAP, the bone in the elbow, called the anconeal process, fails to
fuse with the ulna. This results in arthritis and lameness if
untreated. The German shepherd is by far the most commonly affected
breed; however, the disease can be seen in any dog, especially other
large and giant breeds.
In a normal dog, the anconeal process develops and then fuses to the
ulna by the time the animal is 20 weeks of age. If it fails to do
so, chronic instability and irritation can result, which leads to
progressive arthritis. Typically, dogs will show a forelimb lameness
that improves with rest but worsens with exercise. In 20 to 35
percent of the cases, the disease is bilateral, meaning that it
affects both legs, but often, one side will be affected more
severely than the other. Dogs are typically presented at six to 12
months of age to a veterinarian because of front leg lameness. Other
dogs will not be taken for treatment until they are several years of
age, when considerable arthritis is already present.
Diagnosis: The veterinarian may presume a diagnosis of
ununited anconeal process if the dog shows signs of disease and is a
German shepherd or other commonly affected large breed. A definitive
diagnosis requires x-rays taken after five months of age.
Prognosis: The prognosis is good for dogs that do not have
significant arthritis in their elbows. The prognosis becomes more
guarded in cases of long-standing disease, in which the arthritis is
severe. With surgical excision of the ununited anconeal process,
some arthritis is still likely to occur, but the animals generally
do significantly better than if they had not had surgery. With the
reattachment techniques, the prognosis can be quite good if the
fusion is successful. However, these techniques are likely to fail
in severely arthritic joints.
Transmission or Cause: A genetic cause is thought to play a major role,
as the disease is highly prevalent in some lines of German
shepherds. Underlying elbow incongruity, or elbow dysplasia, also
may be an important factor. Damage to the distal growth plate of the
ulna may result in a shortened ulna, putting excessive force on the
anconeal process and preventing it from fusing to the ulna. Other
factors include problems with the dog's nutrition, such as obesity
or high calorie diets that are intended to promote rapid growth,
hormonal effects, and chronic trauma.
Treatment:
The treatment for ununited anconeal process is
surgical, unless severe arthritis has developed. Several options
exist, but surgical excision is the most widely accepted method. In
this procedure, the loose anconeal process is removed to prevent
further irritation to the joint. In severely arthritic elbows, the
surgery may not result in improvement.
Another method that has been advocated is reattachment of the
anconeal process with bone screws. The reported success rate varies,
and this type of surgery should be performed only if the disease is
recognized very early in its progression.
A recently reported treatment in German shepherds called an ulnar
osteotomy involves making a bone cut in the ulna to reduce the force
on the anconeal process. In the study, a significant number of dogs
that underwent this procedure developed a normal fusion of the
anconeal process to the ulna. An ulnar osteotomy is generally
performed early in the disease, before severe arthritis or
displacement of the bony process has occurred.
Medical management consists of maintaining a lean body weight, using
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and participating in low
impact physical therapy such as swimming.
Prevention: Controlled breeding programs likely will be the
most important means of decreasing the incidence of this disease.
For purposes of avoiding breeding dogs that may be disposed towards
developing ununited anconeal process, there is an elbow registry in
Europe and in the United States. The Orthopedic Foundation for
Animals will evaluate x-rays for elbow dysplasia.
Refraining from feeding puppies adult dog food, large breed growth
formulas, and other calorie-dense diets may also decrease the risk.
Avoiding calorie-dense diets will decrease the growth rate, but not
the final adult size of giant breeds. By avoiding rapid growth, the
forces placed on the long bones are decreased during development,
thus lessening the risk of the disease.
