Panosteitis

The cause of panosteitis is unknown but it begins with suspected medullary congestion and hypertension that cause vascular leakage and medullary edema.  The edema infiltrates the fatty marrow resulting in new bone formation in the medullary cavity.  Affected bones become painful and typically cause lameness in young dogs.  Almost any bone can be affected.  Dogs over 2 years of age are rarely affected.

A.Usually diagnosed from 5 to 18 months of age (range 3 months to 5 years).

B.German shepherds and basset hounds are most commonly affected, but many other breeds have been diagnosed with panosteitis.

C.Males are more frequently affected than females (4:1).

D.Clinical Signs

1.Acute onset of weight-bearing lameness.

2.Lameness not affected by exercise.

3.Lameness may shift from one leg to another since multiple bones may be affected.

4.Some dogs are reluctant to move because of pain.

5.Pressure placed on an affected bone near the nutrient foramen usually causes pain.


E. Diagnosis

1.Plain radiographs may be normal in the early stages (7-10 days) of the disease making conformation of the diagnosis problematic.

2.14-20 days after the onset radiodense patches of bone in the medullary cavity are noted.  Periosteal new bone is present in 15-25% of cases.

3.At 20-25 days the new bone begins to disappear and the bone usually looks normal radiographically by 80-90 days.

4.The cycle in one bone lasts about 90 days, but the dog may not have clinical disease during the entire cycle.  An individual bone may get panosteitis more than once.  There is usually a period of 180-200 days between episodes. 

F.Treatment

1.Pain meds

2.NSAIDS

G.Prognosis

1.Excellent.

2.Condition is self-limiting and usually disappears between 18-20 months of age.

3.No long-term problems have been attributed to having panosteitis.                                       

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