Orthopaedic Conditions
Arthritis/Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA), Osteoarthrosis, Degenerative joint disease (DJD), or when present in the spine, Spondylosis. Osteoarthritis is a very complex and multifactorial condition, associated with the degeneration of the joint, specifically the free moving synovial joints, as the cushioning and smooth sliding surface of articular cartilage slowly degenerates and wears away, many pathological changes occur within the musculoskeletal tissues affecting the joint biochemically and mechanically.
Hip Dysplasia
Canine hip dysplasia (CHD) is a common skeletal, multifactorial, and developmental disease affecting the ball and socket joint of the hips, the coxofemoral joint. The coxofemoral joint is formed by the acetabulum and head of the femur 'femoral head'. When the joint is working correctly the head of the femur is able to rotate effortlessly, freely, and without pain inside of the acetabulum, in contrast, when hip dysplasia is present the acetabulum doesn’t receive the femoral head as it should causing laxity within the joint as progressive degeneration to articular cartilage occurs.
Cause and
Progression
Hip dysplasia has many causes some of which are influenced by external and environmental factors:
Excessive exercise within the dogs developmental stages
Trauma, involved in an accident
Genetics
Obesity, extra weight carried places stress on joints and muscles
Diet, too high in protein or calcium can cause abnormal growth spurts
Congenital deformations of the femur or acetabulum; femoral head unable to sit within the acetabulum as it is too shallow, femoral head is malformed
Joint laxity
Over-vaccination, holistic veterinarians advise that this can increase the dogs risk of developing HD especially those already predisposed, they recommend consideration of not vaccinating annually
Hip Dysplasia:
Onset and
Symptoms
Onset usually manifests and starts in dogs around 5-6 months old, signs start to show as a result in varying degrees of synovial inflammation to the joint, deterioration of articular cartilage, formation of osteophytes and bone remodelling. The entire joint and its musculature becomes affected, HD can be lateral or bilateral.
Hip Dysplasia:
Symptoms
Gait abnormalities
Hopping or skipping when cantering
Lameness
Pain
Hind limb muscle atrophy
Hind limb stiffness - Particularly after exercising or resting
Reduction in ADL’s, movements requiring full extension or flexion of hind limbs
Joint laxity
Crepitus in coxofemoral joint motion
ROM’s decrease
Hypertrophy in shoulder muscles
Dog becomes subdued, aggressive, quiet
Narrow stance, hind limbs
Hip Dysplasia:
How Massage
Helps
Improved ROM
Post surgery, scar tissue, atrophied muscle
Relieves pain, stiffness, soreness
Reduces inflammation
Hip Dysplasia:
Elbow Dysplasia
Elbow dysplasia is an abnormality to the conformation of the elbow joint, the elbow joint, a hinge joint is formed by three bones; the humerus, radius, and ulna. A normal elbow joint sees these bones perfectly fitting together enabling articulation, when deformity is present within any of these bones, the joint becomes mechanically dysfunctional.
Cause and
Progression
Environmentally influenced as the dog is maturing; Poor diet, obesity, lack of exercise, overly exercised, trauma, or an already existing disease
Malformation in humerus, radius or ulna disallows the joint to fit and piece together correctly
Growth rate of bones, if the ulna and radius don’t develop at the same velocity confliction occurs between them, extra load and stress is placed on the coronoid process, this can cause stress fracturing or fatigue loading
Stress fractures, micro cracks or micro fractures occur as the pressure and force generated by the muscles rotates the medial coronoid process of the ulnar into the radius. As micro fractures coalesce from the within the joint it can cause fragmentation of the coronoid process (FCP)
Elbow Dysplasia:
Onset and
Symptoms
Dogs are commonly diagnosed with elbow dysplasia before they are two years old, some can be as young as three months old.
Signs are not always obvious and can be intermittent or not present until later in life.
Elbow Dysplasia:
Symptoms
Gait abnormalities — head nod, paddling gait if bilateral
Forelimb lameness, after resting, can be intermittent
Limping - lateral - bilateral
Pain resulting from micro-fractures in coronoid process
Cartilage erosion
Loss of interest in ADL’s
Resistant to jumping, stairs
Elbow Dysplasia:
How Massage
Helps
Improved ROM
Post surgery, scar tissue, atrophied muscle
Relieves pain, stiffness, soreness
Reduces inflammation
Elbow Dysplasia: