GENEVOIS Jean-Pierre

70 publications in veterinary journals

Ostochondrosis (OC) is a developmental bone disease encountered in giant, large and middle-sized breed dogs. It is of major clinical consequences (severe lameness) when it progresses to osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), and may develop in a severe degenerative joint disease (DJD). Another form of OC (retained cartilage core) may lead to a disproportionate growth of radius and ulna with elbow incongruity and deviation of the forearm .
The pathology is seen in various anatomical location (shoulder joint, elbow joint, knee joint, hock joint, distal ulnar or radial physis). OC has a multifactorial basis, combining dietary (overfeeding and excess calcium intake being of uppermost importance) and hereditary factors. The diagnosis is based on the signalment, clinical history, clinical findings and radiographic examination. The prognosis depends on the site involved, and the age at which the dog is presented for surgical treatment. The earlier the surgery is undertaken, the more favourable the prognosis . Great care should be taken when using dogs with OC in breeding programmmes. This is especially so with OC of the shoulder as many dogs which have had surgery return to the show-ring and remain free of lameness.

Elbow dysplasia (ED) is a polygenic hereditary developmental disease, which is seen in giant, large and middle-sized breed dogs. The term includes 4 specific abnormalities, called primary lesions. They are : ununited anconeal process (UAP), osteochondritis dissecans of median humeral condyle (OCD), fragmented coronoid process (FCP) and radio-ulnar incongruity. The primary lesions usually develops in degenerative joint disease. All forms are known to cause lameness and pain in the elbow joint, but many dogs have sub-clinical disease and do not become lame.
The most important causal factor is the genetic make-up of the dog. Other factors as growth rate, diet and level of exercise may slightly influence the severity of the disease in an individual dog, but they cannot prevent the disease or reduce the potential of the dog to pass the disease to offspring.
The diagniosis is based on radiographic examination of both elbows, but FCP is often difficult to visualize.
Surgery is the treatment of choice, but the results depends on the type of primary lesions, the age of the dog at treatment , the severity of DJD.
To minimise the « problem » genes in the population, dams and sires should be selected with the best genetic make-up, that is the lowest grade of ED after radiographic screening of both elbows.