Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Force platform gait analysis detects lameness in Labradors
By Evans, Richard et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2005·Iowa State University, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Accuracy and optimization of force platform gait analysis in Labradors with cranial cruciate disease evaluated at a walking gait.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of adult Labrador Retrievers with a torn knee ligament (cranial cruciate ligament) were evaluated for limping after surgery. Researchers used a special force platform to measure how the dogs walked, comparing their movements to those of healthy dogs. They found that using a combination of specific measurements from the platform was better at detecting lameness than just looking at the dogs. Interestingly, even some dogs that appeared to walk normally still showed signs of lameness when tested. This method can help veterinarians assess and treat knee problems more accurately.
People also search for: Labrador limping after CCL surgery · dog knee ligament injury treatment · how to assess dog lameness
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the combination of ground reaction forces (GRFs) that best discriminates between lame and non-lame dogs. To compare the sensitivity of force platform gait analysis and visual observation at detecting gait abnormalities in Labradors after surgery for rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL). ANIMALS: All dogs were adult Labrador Retrievers: 17 free of orthopedic and neurologic abnormalities, 100 with unilateral CCL rupture, and 131 studied 6 months after surgery for unilateral CCL injury, 15 with observable lameness. PROCEDURE: Dogs were walked over a force platform with GRF recorded during the stance phase. Analytic properties of force platform gait analysis were calculated for several combinations of forces. The probability of visual observation detecting a gait abnormality was compared with that of force platform gait analysis. RESULTS: We determined that a combination of peak vertical force (PVF) and falling slope were optimal for discriminating sound and lame Labradors. After surgery, many dogs (75%) with no observable lameness failed to achieve GRFs consistent with sound Labradors. CONCLUSION: A force platform is an accurate method of assessing lameness in Labradors with CCL rupture and is more sensitive than visual observation. Assessing lameness with a combination of GRFs is better than using univariate GRFs. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Therapies for stifle lameness can be accurately and objectively evaluated using 2 vertical ground reaction forces obtained from a force platform.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16266335/