SECONDARY INFLUENCES AND ECTOPIC CAUSES O F CANINE HIP-DYSPLASIA

This article questions the stagnation of breeding results by hip dyspl asia screening and its current etiology. The ''Coxa Valga Antetorta'', anteversion of the hip joint and ''soft tissue displasia'' are discus sed besides a multitude of primary diseases leading to growth deformit ies and other diseases in the hip. Ectopic primary causes like malform ation of the spine leading to a secondary ''dysplatic'' osteoarthritis of the hip (functional secondary dysplasia) are also discussed in thi s article. Recent and very promising breeding strategies (estimation o f the breeding value) in the battle against hip dysplasia are presente d. Biochemical, immunological and structural aspects are presented as a not totally utopic perspecitive. Molecular genetic markers for hip d ysplasia will offer in the near future a possibility to detect carrier s ct the disease by a blood sample ion before clinical mainifestation.