Case Study

RADS – Bilateral Chronic Degenerative Stifle Joint Disease with Joint Effusion and/or Proliferative Synovialitis in a 6 year old German Shepherd dog

History of left hind leg lameness since February 2015. The patient had a hemilaminectomy on 5/28/5 which alleviated some of the lameness issues initially, but it progressed and the lameness has continued. Physical exam showed partial weight bearing consistently on the left hind leg with positive drawer and cranial tibial thrust. BCS 6.5/9. Neurological exam was WNL.

Image Interpretation

RADS – mediolateral views of the left and right hind limbs including the stifle and tarsal joints and VD view of the pelvis including craniocaudal view of the stifle joints: The patient presented a status after lumbosacral laminectomy, mild lumbosacral endplate modelling and a healing traumatic proximal diaphyseal leftsided fibula fracture in late reparation phase. If any there was very mild asymmetry of the hind limb musculature with minor reduction of volume on the left side but this was more likely an effect of asymmetric positioning. No abnormalities were noted regarding the popliteal lymph nodes.
Both stifle joints presented moderate articular soft tissue swelling, mild cranial thrust of the tibia, moderate periarticular osteophyte formation and patellar modeling. A faint spherical mineral opacity was seen level with the distal aspect of the quadriceps femoris muscle on the right hind limb.
There were no radiographic signs of an agrressive bone lysis.

DX

The findings of the stifle joints are compatible with bilateral moderate chronic degenerative joint disease with joint effusion and/or proliferative synovialitis as a sequel to cranial cruciate ligament pathology.

Outcome

There were no radiographic signs of an agrressive osteolytic process. Consider calcifying musculopathy of the right distal quadriceps femoris muscle versus subcutaneous dystrophic mineralization – likely to be incidental.
The patient presented a status after lumbosacral laminectomy and a proximal diaphyseal left sided fibula fracture in late reparation phase.