Surgical management of IOHC is associated with a high rate of postoperative complications. Placement of the transcondylar screw in lag fashion may limit postoperative complications and warrants further consideration.

Computer-aided image analysis can be used to calculate angles of lateral opening to within 10 degrees throughout the range of acetabular positions seen in practice and is appropriate for postoperative documentation of cup position. The angles of inclination and version should be interpreted with caution.

DEGENERATIVE intervertebral disc disease is the most common spinal disorder in the dog. This article discusses the pathophysiology of intervertebral disc and spinal cord disease, the associated historical and clinical features, differential diagnoses and aids to diagnosis. A second article, to be published in the next issue, will focus on the management options for dogs with intervertebral disc disease.

Methods 2 and 3, but not method 1, were sufficiently accurate and precise to be clinically useful. Version measurement was clinically useful when inclination was ≤ 20°.

CONDITIONS affecting the shoulder are common causes of thoracic limb lameness in the dog. Some diseases such as osteochondritis dissecans have been well documented, while many tendon and ligament injuries have received relatively little attention. Diagnosis of the latter is difficult and their management remains a challenge. Many soft tissue disorders are associated with non-specific, if indeed any, abnormalities on clinical examination. The problem is compounded by the fact that many changes detected on radiography or arthroscopy are asymptomatic and not of clinical significance. This article reviews the more common conditions of the canine shoulder with particular emphasis on their diagnosis.

THE first part of this two-part article on degenerative disc disease in the dog covered intervertebral disc and spinal cord pathophysiology, historical and clinical features, differential diagnosis and diagnostic aids (In Practice, July/August 2000, pp 355-369). This article discusses the management options, both non-surgical and surgical, for cervical, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral disc disease.

DIAGNOSING the cause of lameness or weakness in dogs is not always straightforward. Although orthopaedic conditions are the most common cause of thoracic and pelvic limb lameness and neurological disorders the most common cause of weakness, occasionally neurological cases may be presented due to lameness and orthopaedic cases due to weakness. Diagnosing orthopaedic and neurological disorders as causes of weakness and lameness, respectively, can be challenging. A detailed history and thorough clinical examination, with emphasis on the orthopaedic and neurological components, is essential. This article describes the orthopaedic and neurological causes of lameness, and weakness and incoordination, and highlights the specific investigations that can be carried out to differentiate between the two.

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