Evaluation of a canine total-elbow arthroplasty system: A preliminary study in normal dogs

Objective - Short-term, in vivo evaluation of a total-elbow arthroplasty (TEA) system in normal dogs. Study Design - Prospective evaluation comparing pre-and postoperative findings. Animals - Six normal, skeletally mature, large-breed dogs. Methods - Physical, radiographic, and force-plate gait examinations were performed on all dogs before surgery. TEA was performed in the dogs using a canine TEA system. Examinations were repeated every 8 weeks for 24 weeks, with an additional examination at 52 weeks. Pre-and postoperative findings were compared. Results - The TEA led to an excellent outcome in 3 of 6 dogs. Force-plate gait examination found that the dogs continued to improve over time and had a peak vertical force (PVF) in the surgical limb that was 99.6% of normal (range, 95.8% to 106.4%) 52 weeks after surgery. Major problems encountered during the postoperative time period were non-weight-bearing lameness (1 dog), osteomyelitis (1 dog), and fracture of the ulna (1 dog). Conclusions - TEA can be successfully performed in dogs. Clinical Relevance - Based on 1-year data, TEA can be successfully performed in dogs and could be considered as a treatment alternative for adult dogs with severe osteoarthritis and lameness of the elbow joint.