About the Elbow Score Database

Database Origins

This database began as a personal project in 2018, born from frustration with the fragmented state of elbow dysplasia screening data. After 28 years of clinical orthopedic practice, I had accumulated files of screening results, pedigree analyses, and research notes that existed nowhere else in consolidated form. The inconsistency between national certification schemes made cross-border comparison nearly impossible, and breeders routinely asked questions that required synthesizing data scattered across multiple registries.

The Elbow Score Database represents my attempt to aggregate this information into a single, accessible resource. It is not affiliated with OFA, BVA/KC, IEWG, or any national kennel club, though it draws heavily from their published data with appropriate citation.

About the Author

Dr. James Thornton earned his veterinary degree from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh in 1996. Following residency training in small animal surgery, he completed specialty certification in orthopedics and has maintained IEWG screener certification since 1998.

Over three decades of practice, Dr. Thornton has performed orthopedic evaluations on over 12,000 dogs for breeding certification, with particular focus on German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and other working breeds. He has contributed to research publications on elbow dysplasia heritability and served on the scientific advisory committees of multiple breed clubs.

Methodology

The statistics and prevalence data presented in this database derive from three primary sources:

• Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA): Public database accessed January 2024, comprising over 750,000 elbow evaluations. Where noted, raw OFA percentages have been adjusted using the Keller et al. (2011) correction factor to account for voluntary submission bias.
• British Veterinary Association/Kennel Club (BVA/KC): Annual statistical reports (2018-2023), with breed-specific data extracted from published tables.
• European Registry Sources: SV (Schaeferhunde Verein) annual reports, Scandinavian kennel club publications, and IEWG member organization data where publicly available.

Where data sources conflict, I have noted discrepancies and provided methodology for reconciliation. All breed-specific statistics exclude dogs evaluated before minimum age requirements (typically 12-24 months depending on registry).

Limitations and Disclaimers

This database is intended for educational purposes and to assist breeding decisions. It does not replace veterinary consultation for individual dogs. Specific limitations include:

• Voluntary submission registries (OFA) contain inherent selection bias toward normal results
• Prevalence estimates vary by population sampled and may not reflect all lines within a breed
• Historical data reflects screening protocols that may differ from current standards
• Breeding recommendations represent consensus guidelines, not absolute rules

Contact and Corrections

I welcome corrections, additional data sources, and feedback from veterinary professionals and breeders. If you identify errors in published statistics or have access to registry data not currently included, please contact me through the contact page.

This resource is provided freely for the benefit of the breeding community. No portion of the database is behind a paywall, and no commercial relationships influence content.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals for maintaining publicly accessible screening data; to the IEWG for establishing standardized grading protocols; and to the many breed clubs that mandate screening and publish results transparently. Progress against inherited orthopedic disease requires collective commitment to data sharing.