Evaluation of femoral head and neck new bone from a grey wolf (Canis lupus lupus): When is it pathology?

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Illinois State Museum, Research and Collections Center, 1011 East Ash St., Springfield, IL 62703, USA

2 Pacific Marine Mammal Center, 20612 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651, USA

Abstract

The ongoing debate about coxo-femoral joint disease in domestic dogs indicates that new research is needed. Affected non-domestic canids are reported occasionally; we examined skeletal remains of a grey wolf and reported our observations. Femurs of this specimen revealed articular margin new bone, mild new bone filling of the dorsal femoral neck, and a diagonal osteophyte line originating from the craniolateral aspect of the articular margin new bone. The latter extended in a cranioventral direction to the proximomedial femoral shaft, possibly representing new bone deposition along the margin of the joint capsule attachment. The features were incon- clusive by radiography.
We suggest that some features of domestic dog coxofemoral joint disease may have ancestral origin, further underscoring the need for new research.

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