Arthroscopic removal of large cartilage fragment in a dog with osteochondritis dissecans of shoulder joint

Abstract

An 11-month-old, 19.5 kg, intact male Border collie was referred with intermittent left forelimb lameness to the Gyeongsang Animal Medical Center. The symptom was first discovered about 6 months ago, and it has gotten worse for the last 10 days with non-weight bearing on the left forelimb. During the physical examination, the patient showed painful reaction when the left shoulder was abducted. On radiographic assessment, a radiolucent line and some osteophytes were found in both humeral heads. Based on patient’s clinical signs and radiographic findings, osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) was very suspicious. So, we decided to perform an arthroscopic surgery on left shoulder for definitive diagnosis and treatment because the right forelimb revealed no clinical signs. During arthroscopic technique, we found a large OCD flap on the caudo-central area of humeral head, and observed severe synovitis over a wide range on posterior area of the articular capsule. The large OCD flap was removed by a grasping forceps, and many joint mice were removed either. Curettage was performed using a curette on the articular surface until hemorrhage occurred, and articular capsule flushed with a lactated-ringer’s solution. The patient was discharged on the same day without any specific abnormal status. Antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs were administered. Mild lameness on left forelimb was observed in 2 weeks after surgery, but after 4 weeks, the patient showed complete normal gait without any lameness. Although surgical removal of OCD flap with arthroscopic was previously reported, We would like note that a large OCD flap can also be removed by arthroscopic surgery in this report. ? 2016, Korean Society of Veterinary Clinics. All rights reserved.