Computed tomography morphology and anatomy of the elbow joint of specific dog breeds focussing on the medial coronoid process in ED 0 scored dogs

Computed tomography morphology and anatomy of the elbow joint of specific dog breeds focussing on the medial coronoid process in ED 0 scored dogs Coronoid pathology is the most common cause of forelimb lameness in young fast-growing dogs. Radiological changes are not always present. The aim of this study is to describe the computed tomographic morphology and anatomy (including Hounsfield Units [HU] measurements) of the canine elbow joint in ED 0 evaluated dogs. A total of 239 elbow joints all classified as ED 0 on standard radiographs from German Shepherds, Labradors and Golden Retrievers were evaluated using computed tomography. The patients were divided into two groups after a CT scan. The dogs in Group I showed no fissure or fragment at the level of the medial coronoid process. Those dogs with a fissure line and/or a fragment at the level of the medial coronoid process were placed in Group II: 79 (33%) of the evaluated 239 elbow joints were affected. The bone density (in HU) differentiated significantly between different locations and between the three breeds (p < 0.05). The size of the coronoid process and density were found to be gender dependent. The evaluation of the coronoid outline showed four possible conformations: round, pointy, flattened and irregular. The round outline was the most common form present in all three breeds and could be seen more often in Group I (46%) than in Group II (23%). The irregular coronoid shape was more frequently present in Group II (40%) than in Group I (8%). The ED 0 radiographic assessment of an elbow joint does not mean that there are no pathological findings to be found using computed tomography at the level of the medial coronoid process. A comparison of the bone densities between the three breeds was found not to be possible. However, comparisons within each breed of bone densities in ED 0 elbow joints did not show any significant differences between those elbows showing a fissure or fragment in CT and those showing no pathological findings in CT Nevertheless, an irregular outline of the medial coronoid process could be an indicator of coronoid pathology.