THE SEQUELAE OF FRAGMENTED ANCONEAL PROCESS (FAP) LESION IN PIGS - A RADIOLOGIC, MACROSCOPIC AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

The development of the anconeal process its lesions and their sequelae were scrutinized during the follow-up radiographic study (every 5 mon ths) of porcine osteochondrosis of elbow joint bones done in 80 Danish Landrace pigs from day 42 of age to 38 months of age. The anconeal pr ocess was observed radiologically to be ossified at the age of between 6 to 7 months. Normally it ossifies by pyramidal extension from the p roximal ulna. However, fragmented/separated anconeal process lesion wa s demonstrated in 15 pigs (the process was 'ununited' with the rest of the proximal ulna). The diagnosis was confirmed in nine pigs at gross post-mortem and microscopically when the pigs were slaughtered due to other reasons than lameness of the front leg. These cases were interp reted as 'fragmented/separated anconeal process' (FAP/SAP). This lesio n showed a tendency to heal with increasing age. The lesions were heal ed in all surviving pigs at the age of 25-26 months.