Dog Hip Dysplasia

Hip dysplasia, was described in 1935 and has since emerged in most races and today is the most common orthopedic disease.

He has always been associated with large and medium breeds, fast growing and maturing, high-calorie diets, decreased muscle mass and pelvic abnormalities pectineus.

This is a bad matching of the cavity acetabular (hip) with the femoral heads that can appear dislocated dislocated or sub. In joints with some alteration, it is observed from a slight to large lateral displacements of the femoral heads - subluxations - that allow "joint play". The effect is damage, inflame and eventually weaken the hip joint. The amount of synovial fluid increases and the round ligament swells and stretches. The normally smooth cartilage that covers the ends of opposing bones, is worn and the joint capsule swells and becomes thick. - DJD degenerative changes --

How is it manifested?

Usually the owners of a puppy with dysplasia, consult a veterinarian by the difficulties of the puppy to stand, the wobble of the hind legs when walking. They have wide hips, square, are quite sedentary pups, some eat sitting, can be aggressive or too "good". Some puppies do not develop symptoms and sores to adulthood coexisting quite well with the condition but are gene carriers and potential transmitters to their offspring. The event with all its signs will appear sooner or later.
Clinical findings include exercise intolerance, limp, is increasingly difficult to jump or throw tenderness or standing, clicking sounds in forced movements or walking, muscle atrophy, increased aggression due to pain, restriction of hip movements, difficulty running and jumping, etc.. Puppies are very "good" that remain long time lying, not "break anything"

How is it diagnosed?

It is diagnosed through an x-ray taken on an anesthetized animal, to relax your muscles and ligaments, dorsal ventral position with outstretched limbs, parallel, well-positioned with the hinges. A normal joint shows well-formed femoral heads located deep in the acetabular cavity. The contact surfaces are congruent and parallel. In joints with some alteration is observed from light to large lateral displacements of the femoral heads - subluxations - that allow "joint play". If there is joint play will shortly inflammatory changes in the articular surfaces and later osteoarthritis. - DJD degenerative changes-

Hip dysplasia is a disease characterized biomechanics by progressive joint incongruity caused from a joint laxity and ending in a degenerative joint disease (EDA).

Hip dysplasia (DCF) is a congenital disease, because the hips are normal at birth. The condition arises from a set of environmental factors from the standpoint of anatomical hip joint is a spheroid, formed by a round head and acetabulum (the socket), which fit perfectly together.

Acting on a genetic basis for multiple high heritability (ranging between 0.2 and 0.6 according to race) that determines a delay in the maturation of the joint support structures leading to a greater or lesser extent, the emergence of laxity, the first step towards joint incongruity.

Incidence

The actual incidence in different races varies from almost 50% in the St. Bernard to less than 1% in the Borzoi (Russian Greyhound).

The table shows the approximate percentage of occurrence of the DCF in the most common breeds.

Race

Incidence

San Bernardo

48%

Golden retriever

23.5%

Rottweiler

23.5%

English Shepherd

22.5%

German Shepherd

22%

Boxer

16%

Airedale Terrier

15%

Labrador Retriever

15%

 

Diagnóstico

Diagnóstico Clínico

From a clinical point of view we can speak of 3 states:

The first stage begins with the onset of clinical signs in the puppy and can be detected from 3 to 4 months of age. They are mostly expressions of pain. They are usually very observant noticed by owners since it is unusual for the animal spontaneously complain when performing an exercise. Generally refers to the type of ambulation and activity that develop the puppies: run both hind legs together, intersecting at some point, often lie or lie down for a long time, all these are ways to move unless a sore hips DCF In severe cases, in some patients, there is maldevelopment of the muscles around the hip.

It is important to clarify that not all patients manifest these clinical stages, and this depends on the severity of the DCF. There are individuals who have clinical signs of youth, then improve and become symptomatic adult table. In other cases the disease manifests itself only made old age or following trauma.

Radiodiagnosis

Because alterations in the DCF coexist in hard and soft tissues are not always the radiologic picture is consistent with the clinical picture. Thus we find patients with mild locomotor disorders and images of advanced disease, as well as a radiograph indicative of a mild degree of DCF in an animal extremely painful

What is the prognosis according to the degrees?

Forecast for dog health.

Dogs with mild hip dysplasia should not meet high requirements, do not have a visibly ill. As animals often react very little to chronic pain, this condition can go undetected even in dogs suffering from hip dysplasia median lameness if not trigger a trauma, P. ej., A articulate distortion jumping or acute overuse.

Therefore, can be delivered without any problem or keep dogs suffering from hip dysplasia light or medium as pets.

Treatment

Objectives: All treatments aim to improve the quality of life of pets.

I must emphasize that being a serious illness is not serious functional life, in other words the patient will suffer from a dysfunction in locomotion but does not commit his life.

Dysplasia of a sick animal can live their entire lives with this disease and live a pleasant life. Dysplasia is an entity controllable but not curable.

The treatments are intended to:

Inhibition of inflammation
Pain Relief
Regeneration of the articular surfaces
Cartilage repair
Recovery of joint function
Methods

Conservatives - Non-invasive

Corticosteroids
NSAIDs
Chondro
Regenerating cartilage
Surgical

Section pectineus
Plastic roof of the acetabulum
Osteotomies
Total joint prostheses
Resection of the femoral head

Just as it is very important that the diagnosis is successful, it is important to their precocity, in order to implement the correct treatment or preventive repair most serious situations.