Disease Ontology ID: DDTO:0001220

Abbreviated Name: UAP

Disease Description: A developmental abnormality of one of the bones of the elbow joint causing pain

Inherit Mode: -

Disease Symptom: When this part of the ulna does not fuse, the elbow joint becomes unstable, causing lameness and pain. The instability causes inflammation, and eventually the inflammation and instability will lead to the development of degenerative joint disease or arthritis. In some cases, the bone fragment floats freely in the joint, causing further discomfort.Dogs with this disease are lame on the affected leg or legs and they may cry when the elbow is extended. Often the affected elbow joint has a decreased range of motion.

Disease Cause: This problem does appear to be hereditary in certain breeds, mostly large breeds.

Disease Diagnose: The results of a physical examination are often highly suggestive of this problem. However, other conditions can cause elbow dysplasia, including fragmented coronoid process (FCP) and osteochondritis dissecans (OCD). UAP can be diagnosed by means of radiographs of the elbow. In some cases, this may require a short-acting anesthetic or sedative in order to achieve the optimal positioning for diagnostic purposes. In some cases, it may be necessary to have the x-rays examined by a veterinary radiologist for confirmation of the diagnosis.

Treat Method: Treatment requires surgery. The traditional treatment is removal of the anconeal process from the joint. A more recent approach to surgery is to use screws to reattach the anconeal process to the ulna. Your veterinarian may recommend a referral to an orthopedic surgeon for surgical correction, depending on the case. In all cases, surgery should be performed as soon as possible, and results are much better if surgery is done before secondary arthritis affects the joint.

Breeder Advice: Some form of rehabilitation will improve your dog's chances of making a full recovery from surgery, and minimize lameness problems. You will need to restrict your dog's exercise for the first few weeks to months after surgery, which usually means that your dog will only be allowed to go for controlled leash walks. If the UAP is reattached to the ulna with a screw, it is recommended that weight-bearing activities be restricted until healing is complete, for up to 8 to 12 weeks in some cases.

Disease Description Source: Link