Inherited Musculoskeletal Disorders

Legg-Clave-Perthes Disease is an disease of the hip joint that causes an abnormality or deformity of the ball of the hip joint.  The ability for the body to get blood to the head of the femur bone is disrupted and the blood supply is diminished.  The bone is unable to grow and will die off causing the femoral head to collapse and the cartilage to crack and deform.  This deformation causes arthritisArthritis is an inflammation of the joints that is caused by abnormal stress on a normal joint or normal stress on an abnormal joint. It can be triggered by inherited illnesses, trauma or arise from over use of joints. Arthritis causes swelling of the joints, pain, difficulty moving the joints and even loss of movement over time. , inflammation, pain and lameness in the hip joint.

Myotonia is a genetic disease that affects the musculoskeletal system of the dog.  It affects the voluntary muscle groups like those of the legs.   A dog with Myotonia will have difficulty relaxing the muscles after they are stimulated resulting in a strange, stiff gait.  Often the muscles will function more normally after they are warmed up.

Cause
This is believed to be an autosomalAutosomal refers to any of the chromosomes other than the 'X' or 'Y' sex chromosomes. Dogs have 38 autosomes or non-sex linked chromosomes. recessiveA recessive gene requires a copy of the gene from both parents to exhibit a trait. Having only one gene makes the dog a carrier but it will not exhibit the trait. congenitalCongenital means present at birth. Something that is congenital may or may not be inherited by parents and passed on to offspring. deformity that is passed when both parents have the genetic predisposition for the illness. 

Hemivertebra is a congenitalCongenital means present at birth. Something that is congenital may or may not be inherited by parents and passed on to offspring. deformity where the a vertebrae is not fully formed.  The spine is comprised of vertebrae with a channel running through the center of them for the spine.  As the vertebrae connect they form a long chain of what looks like spools that houses the spinal cord.  With hemivertebra a single vertebrae forms only half way across creating a wedge or triangle like shape.  This malformed vertebrae can create a curve in the spine.   In some cases this is a desired trait like in the screw tail of the pug.
 

Craniomandibular osteopathy is a rather rare disorder that affects the mandible, skull bone and sometimes other bones.  It is a non cancerous disorder that causes extensive bone growth that affect the inner and outer surfaces of the bone.  It often gives the bone a thick wider appearance hence the name "lion jaw."  Sometimes the inflammation and swelling can affect the joints make it difficult for the dog to open its mouth or eat and in extreme cases excessive bone growth can prevent the bone from opening or closing normally.
 

Cervical (neck) Vertebral Instability aka wobblers syndrome is named for its distinct symptom of wobbling.  Wobblers Syndrome is caused by a compression of the a disc in the neck which causes compression onto the spinal cord.   This compression causes weakness and in coordination of the hind limbs that gradually worsens over time.   Eventually the pressure on the neurological system makes it difficult for the dog to walk and run properly giving them the appearance of wobbling.  If left untreated the damage to the spinal column could lead to paralysis.

Musculoskeletal disorders are disorders that affect the musculoskeletal system which is comprised of the muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments and nerves of the body.  Musculoskeletal disorders can vary in severity and will affect each dog differently.  Mild cases could cause slight pain and inconvenience and severe cases can lead to the disruption of proper locomotion and movement.  In addition the origin of the disorder can vary greatly, some can be brought about by the physical stress and age while others are genetically predetermined at birth.    Below are a