VCOT May 2026 – Ortho Part 2: Elbow Congruity, Hip Laxity & Hidden Tendon Disease

In this Simini Small Animal Surgery Podcast episode, we continue our orthopedic coverage from the May 2026 issue of Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology (VCOT) by exploring three studies that reveal how hidden pathology often lies beneath seemingly normal clinical findings. From subtle elbow incongruity in medial coronoid disease to standardizing stress radiography for hip dysplasia and identifying silent gastrocnemius tendon injuries in canine athletes, these papers emphasize the importance of looking beyond what is immediately visible.In this episode:✅ Scharpf et al. — Used CT imaging to evaluate radioulnar congruity in dogs with medial coronoid disease (MCD). Although the medial compartment often appeared anatomically congruent, the authors identified significant lateral and central radioulnar incongruity, suggesting that many cases of MCD may actually represent a joint-wide biomechanical disorder rather than an isolated medial lesion. These findings help explain why some dogs continue to experience lameness despite technically successful arthroscopic treatment focused solely on the medial compartment. ✅ Vandekerckhove et al. — Quantified the force required during passive stress radiography to accurately assess canine hip laxity. Under standardized sedation, 90% of hips reached maximal diagnostic laxity at approximately 80.5 Newtons (about 8.2 kg of force). The study provides an objective benchmark that may improve consistency between clinicians while reducing false-negative screening examinations caused by inadequate applied force. ✅ Vannini et al. — Investigated gastrocnemius tendon origin (TGMO) injuries in actively competing Border Collies. Despite owners reporting no lameness, more than half of the dogs demonstrated pain during palpation, while ultrasonography revealed tendon abnormalities in approximately 85% of cases. The study showed that direct palpation of the lateral fabella was the most clinically useful screening tool, emphasizing that many athletic dogs may develop significant tendinopathy long before overt lameness appears. Together, these studies reinforce an essential orthopedic principle: successful diagnosis depends on recognizing pathology before it becomes clinically obvious.🎓 Journal Articles DiscussedScharpf et al. — Assessment of the Conformation of the Radioulnar Joint Comparing Dogs with and without Medial Coronoid DiseaseVandekerckhove et al. — Quantifying the Stress in Stress Radiography to Determine Sufficient Laxity of the Coxofemoral Joint in Sedated DogsVannini et al. — Prevalence of Tendinopathy of the Gastrocnemius Muscle Origin in a Cohort of Sound Border Collie📚 From the May 2026 issue of VCOT🎁 Want to learn more about Simini Protect Lavage or request a sample?Learn More: www.simini.comRequest a Sample: https://www.simini.com/evaluation-kit