Audience question:
Are joint replacements available for dogs?
Answered by: James L. Cook, DVM, PhD, DACVS, DACVSMR:
Yes, hip replacements are quite common and successful. Total elbow replacements are done, but have not been consistently successful. We developed a partial elbow replacement, Canine Unicompartmental Elbow (CUE) Arthroplasty System (Arthrex Vet Systems) for the most common elbow problem seen in dogs (medial compartment disease from elbow dysplasia), which has been very successful. Total knee replacements are done, but are rare and there is not a large database for their safety or efficacy yet.
