Crystal et al: Effect of Medial Opening Wedge and External Rotational Humeral Osteotomies on Medial Elbow Compartment Pressure: An Ex Vivo Study
Veterinary and Comparative Orthopedics and Traumatology 4, 2024

🔍 Key Findings Summary

• Ex vivo cadaver study using 5 paired canine thoracic limbs
• Compared medial opening wedge osteotomy (MOWO) and external rotational osteotomy (ERO) of the humerus
• Measured pressure changes in the medial compartment using thin-film sensors
• ERO significantly reduced peak pressure and pressure distribution in the medial elbow compartment (p < 0.05)
• MOWO showed no significant pressure reduction relative to native state
• Combined MOWO + ERO did not significantly improve over ERO alone
• Findings support the biomechanical rationale for ERO as a surgical strategy to offload the medial compartment in cases like medial compartment disease (MCD)