Everything You Need to Know About the Ununited Anconeal Process
Dogs, like humans, can experience a wide range of health issues throughout the course of their lives. Certain breeds are more susceptible to specific conditions, so understanding the potential health concerns of your pet is essential. Ununited Anconeal Process, also referred to as UAP, is more prevalent in larger dogs, due to the added weight placed on the dog’s joints, but any and all breeds may experience it. Regardless of the age, breed or size of your pet, understanding the symptoms and treatment options can help you make future decisions for your four legged friend.
What is UAP?
The elbow joint of a leg is comprised of the humerus, ulna and radius. When one of three abnormalities forms within this joint, the problem is called elbow dysplasia. Usually, a dog will suffer from one of the three. Experiencing two or even all three of the abnormalities is extremely rare. One of these abnormalities within the elbow joint is the ununited anconeal process.
The forearm of your dog is made up of two different bones: the ulna and the radius. There is a projection of bone pushing up out of where the ulna connects with the humerus, which is known as the anconeal process.
Growths of bone is a normal part of the growing process of a dog (and even in humans). When the bones are fully developed the plates found at the ends of the bone close off and fuse the bone together. The anconeal process and the ulna bone fuse together around five months of age in a dog. If the area does not fuse to the ulna, it develops the UAP.
Symptoms of UAP
Around the five-month point in a dog’s life, they should be spry and full of life. However, if they experience the ununited anconeal process, they will experience significant pain in their elbow joint. Due to the bone not fusing, there is instability in the joint, which in turn causes the inflammation. If not treated, this will degenerate the joint and cause extremely early arthritis. Some bone fragments may break off as well, which can rub against other bones and ligaments, increasing the dog’s level of discomfort. A sure sign a dog has UAP is if the joint is fully extended (such as you gently pulling the dog’s leg) and the dog cries out.
Sometimes the dog will not whinge or cry out at all, however they could show lameness when walking and they will have a personality change. Also look for swelling in the joint.
UAP Treatment
The only method of treating ununited anconeal process is through surgery. However, there are a few different surgical methods to this. The first is to simply remove the anconeal process from the joint entirely. A newer surgical method is to attach the anconeal process to the bone using screws. Realistically this is a case by case decision, but the surgery should be performed as quickly as possible in order to reduce the chance of additional conditions developing.
Whether you just adopted a new pet or you have had them for years, it is always important to be mindful of how they act. No matter their age, if they seem to be in pain it is always recommended to see your vet as soon as possible.
