Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Measuring hip joint looseness to diagnose hip dysplasia in dogs
By Ogden, Daniel M et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2012·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, 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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: The S-measurement in the diagnosis of canine hip dysplasia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 51 dogs was evaluated for hip dysplasia, a condition that can cause pain and mobility issues. The researchers used a new measurement technique to assess the hip joint's stability and found that 33 of the dogs had hip dysplasia. The new measurement method showed good accuracy in identifying dogs with the condition, especially in younger dogs. This approach could help veterinarians more reliably diagnose hip dysplasia and determine the best treatment options for affected dogs.
People also search for: dog hip dysplasia symptoms · how to diagnose hip dysplasia in dogs · treatment for dog hip problems
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To propose a direct measure of subluxation of the femoral head (S) in the assessment of hip joint laxity and evaluate it for clinical use. STUDY DESIGN: Method comparison study. ANIMALS: Dogs (n = 51). METHODS: Dogs were sedated or anesthetized for a dorsolateral subluxation (DLS) examination. Two sets of radiographs were acquired, 1 each by a different technologist. A calibrated measuring bar was included on the image at the height of the hip to assess magnification. The DLS was calculated for each hip and different persons unaware of these details measured the "S"-value. One person measured the S-value 3 times over 3 days. Box plots were used to determine a cut-off for the empiric (8 mm) and corrected (4 mm) S-value. RESULTS: Of 51 dogs, 33 were dysplastic based on a DLS score <55%. Magnification and body weight were strongly correlated (r = 0.4922, P = .0006). Both empiric and corrected S measurements showed good agreement with the DLS score (κ = 0.688 and κ = 0.681, respectively). The corrected S measurement produced more false negatives. Bland-Altman analysis showed interobserver and technician variance acceptable for clinical use (limits of agreement < ±3 mm). Intraobserver repeatability was acceptable for the right hip (95% of differences were ≤1.3 mm and 100% ≤ 1.9) but not for the left hip. CONCLUSION: Using a cut-off value of 5 mm, the empirical S measurement can be used to exclude hip dysplasia in young dogs of various body proportions.
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/22091931/