SURGICAL REMOVAL OF FRAGMENTED MEDIAL CORONOID PROCESS IN THE DOG - COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF SURGICAL APPROACH AND AGE AT TIME OF SURGERY

Long-term evaluation of 35 patients was performed average postoperative time, 43 +/- 6 months; range, 3 to 159 months) after fragmented medial coronoid process (FCP) removal. Information was obtained from client-completed questionnaires, physical exam (n=20), and radiographic evaluation (n=20) in order to compare the effects of surgical approach medial capsulotomy [CAP] vs. medial epicondylar osteotomy [OST]) and age at time of surgery (13 months or less vs. greater than 13 months) on limb function. With regard to surgical approach, no significant between-group differences were found for gait function, range of motion, joint thickness, or joint pain. However, indices of forelimb muscle mass, assessed with antebrachial and brachial limb circumferences, were significantly greater in the osteotomy-approached dogs. No significant differences were found for any parameter when dogs were compared with regard to age at time of surgery. Although the percentage of all postoperative complications did not differ between groups, the percentage of complications requiring corrective surgery was significantly greater in the OST group. The authors conclude that the surgical approach and the age at time of surgery do not strongly affect long-term prognosis for limb function after FCP removal in the dog, but the percentage of complications requiring reoperation may be higher in osteotomy-approached dogs.