Osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis (OC) is a term used to describe a variety of joint diseases all of which involve abnormal cartilage and/or bone development. These diseases can affect the shoulder, elbow, knee or hock joints in animals. Degenerative osteoarthritis and necrosis will be a resulting outcome as abnormalities within the joint lead to further wear and tear and joint degeneration.

In this condition, the immature joint cartilage may separate from the bone. This detached cartilage is left to float loosely in the joint cavity, where it cause inflammation. It most often affects the shoulder, elbow, and tarsal (ankle) joints. The most commonly cited causes are heredity, rapid growth, anatomic conformation, trauma, and dietary imbalances; however, only heredity and anatomic conformation are well supported by the scientific literature.

The way in which the disease is initiated has been debated. Although formation of a fragile cartilage, bone necrosis, and failure of blood supply to the growth cartilage all have been proposed as the initial step in the disease, the recent literature strongly supports failure of blood supply to growth cartilage as being the most likely.

The term osteochondrosis has been used to describe a wide range of different lesions among different species. Recently it has been reserved for several specific conditions including osteochontritis dissecans OCD).

Breeds at Risk

Osteochondrosis is most commonly seen in large and giant breeds of dogs. The condition affects bone formation in early stages of life, when the animal is growing at its fastest and the stress to the immature skeleton is greatest.

Nutritional management alone will not completely control osteochondrosis or any of the developmental bone diseases. However, osteochondrosis and other developmental orthopedic diseases can be influenced during growth by feeding technique and nutrient profile. Dietary deficiencies are of minimal concern in this age of commercial foods specifically prepared for young, growing dogs. The potential for harm is in excess consumption and over supplementation.

The disease may also affect vertebrae in the neck ("Wobbler" syndrome in Doberman Pinschers and Great Danes). Lameness or a stiff, stilted forelimb gait may first be noted in dogs with elbow osteochondrosis at four to five months of age.

Causes of Osteochondrosis

A number of nutritional factors have been implicated, including high-energy, high-protein diets, excessive intake of calcium and phosphorus, imbalances of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, and vitamin D, copper deficiency has been reported to produce osteochondrosis-like lesions in animals.

Treatment of Osteochondrosis

In the dog, as in man and the horse, arthroscopy has an important role in treatment of joint disease. In the shoulder, elbow, and stifle joints, surgical arthroscopy can replace the classical surgical methods of treating osteochondrosis lesions. With the established techniques, not only can the lesions be diagnosed with accuracy, but they can also be treated within the same procedure, making arthroscopy the treatment of choice to deal with osteochondrosis lesions. The advantages of arthroscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of osteochondrosis have also encouraged other veterinary surgeons to adopt the technique.

References:
1. Nutrition and osteochondrosis.Richardson DC, Zentek J. In: Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 1998 Jan;28(1):115-35
2. Diagnostic and surgical arthroscopy in osteochondrosis lesions.van Bree HJ, Van Ryssen B. In: Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 1998 Jan;28(1):161-89