Excision Arthroplasty of the Canine Scapulohumeral Joint: Report of Three Cases

Excision arthroplasty has been proposed as an alternative salvage procedure to arthrodesis for conditions of the canine scapulohumeral joint that cannot be effectively treated. The purpose of this paper is to describe the technique, review the indications for the procedure in three cases and discuss complications and long term results. In a retrospective review of 3 cases, all patients had return of pain-free use of the limb. Excision arthroplasty of the canine scapulohumeral joint is less invasive, technically less demanding than arthrodesis and was found to be an effective salvage procedure in the three dogs reported herein.