Case Study

MRI – Emerging fibrosing tendinopathy and tendon fiber remodeling in a 5 year old Rottweiler with chronic lameness

This 5 year old Rottweiller dog presented with chronic intermittent left forelimb lameness of about 6 months duration.

DX

Mild insertional tendinopathy of the left supraspinatus; Mild osteoarthritis of the left shoulder joint; • Small, non-inflamed decubital elbow hygroma

Image Interpretation

MRI of the left shoulder and elbow – shoulder: The supraspinatus tendon reveals mildly heterogenous signal intensity with small T1-, T2- and IR-hyperintense foci. Scant contrast enhancement is noted within the tendinous tissue. No subjective enlargement of the supraspinatus tendon is appreciated.Mild osteohyte formations are noted at the periarticular margins of the shoulder joint, there is mild joint effusion.

elbow: Scant hyperintensity of the tip of the medial coronoid process is seen. Caudolateral to the elbow joint a small focal fluid accumulation contained within the subcutis is noted which is consistent with a hygroma.

Outcome

An underlying cause of the lameness cannot be identified with certainty. All of the changes noted are very mild. There is no evidence of relevant biceps pathology.
The signal changes and contrast enhancement pattern of the supraspinatus tendon are most consistent with emerging fibrosing tendinopathy and tendon fibre modeling. These changes typically are of no clinical impact