Kinetic and kinematic evaluation of compensatory movements of the head, pelvis and thoraco-lumbar spine associated with asymmetrical weight bearing of the pelvic limbs in dogs

The purposes of this dissertation were to 1) determine ground reaction forces of dogs with mild asymmetrical weight-bearing of the pelvic limbs while trotting and 2) use three-dimensional motion analysis to identify compensatory vertical motion of the head and pelvis, and lateral motion of the thoraco-lumbar spine in dogs with mild asymmetrical weight-bearing of the pelvic limbs while trotting, and 3) use this information to introduce a subjective grading system for the pelvic limbs in dogs. Our hypotheses were that dogs with asymmetric weight bearing demonstrate compensatory motions of the head, pelvis and thoraco-lumbar spine while trotting, and that these motions would have a positive correlation with the degree of weight bearing asymmetry. Twenty-seven dogs were included in the study. Nine were normal dogs, which had no surgical intervention, 9 dogs had a cranial cruciate ligament transection and tibial plateau leveling osteotomy 3 ± 0.5 years prior to study start, and 9 dogs had a cranial cruciate ligament transection and extracapsular lateral fabellar-tibial suture (modified retinacular imbrications technique) 7 ± 0.5 years prior to study start. A kinematic model was created so that reflective markers placed on the sagittal crest of the skull, the ischiatic tuberosity and 3 points along the thoraco-lumbar spine of each test subject could be tracked over time while trotting. Kinetic and kinematic data were used to characterize weight-bearing asymmetry between the left and right pelvic limbs, and to describe linear vertical displacement of the head and pelvis, and lateral angular displacement of the thoraco-lumbar spine. Maximum, minimum and range of motion values were analyzed for any differences between the pelvic limbs. Dogs with subtle asymmetric weight bearing of the pelvic limbs demonstrated a greater range of pelvis linear vertical displacement (PLVD) on the side with a greater peak vertical force, and greater thoraco-lumbar lateral angular displacement (TL-LAD) toward the side with a lower peak vertical force while trotting. No differences in mean head linear vertical displacement (HLVD) were detected, and there were no significant correlations between the magnitude of HLVD, PLVD and TL-LAD and the degree of asymmetrical weight bearing of the pelvic limbs

Kinetic, kinematic and electromyographic analysis of cranial cruciate ligament rupture using a monopolar radiofrequency energy model

2011 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.Canine cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR) is a common cause of pain and lameness in dogs that leads to abnormal pelvic limb biomechanics and ultimately to the development of stifle osteoarthritis (OA). Traditional research into the causes of CCLR has focused on instability secondary to failure of the passive structures within the joint. The purpose of this project was to recognize the role of dynamic components as possible contributors to CCL disease, such as neuromuscular dysfunction of muscles (dynamic stabilizers) surrounding the stifle joint. The present studies were performed to characterize alterations in muscle activity in the limb with CCLR and intact contralateral pelvic limbs, as well as measure biomechanical, clinical and physiologic parameters in all four limbs in dogs with subacute, acute and chronic CCLR (within the same dog during the study). Monopolar radiofrequency energy (MRFE) provided a unique model of CCL injury in which to assess subclinical timeframes. Electromyographic (EMG) parameters, collected simultaneously with ground reaction forces and kinematics, were assessed bilaterally within the vastus lateralis, biceps femoris and gastrocnemius muscles at 6 timepoints post MRFE-induced CCL injury and subsequent rupture. The treated limb denotes the pelvic limb that received MRFE surgery and subsequently ruptured the CCL. The untreated limb refers to the contralateral, non-surgical pelvic limb. Kinematic compensations showed an increase in stifle flexion in the untreated limb compared to the treated limb at all time points post CCLR. Kinetic variables were altered in the treated pelvic limb compared to the untreated limbs post CCLR. No compensatory changes in kinetic or kinematic variables were found in the thoracic limbs at any point post CCL injury or rupture. This study provided a qualitative description of muscle activity post CCL injury and subsequent rupture. No significant differences were found in muscle onset, activation duration or percentage of peak amplitude normalized to baseline between the treated and untreated pelvic limbs at all time points. Clinical and physiologic outcome parameters were collected concurrently throughout the duration of the study to evaluate their association with CCL injury and rupture. Joint effusion was the only outcome parameter associated with subclinical CCL injury. However, the majority of these parameters, such as pain, lameness, range of motion, cranial drawer test and radiography, were associated with subsequent rupture of the CCL. In conclusion, kinematic variables, specifically femorotibial flexion angles, were decreased in the contralateral pelvic limb post CCLR, with minimal changes in subclinical time points at 2 and 4 weeks post MRFE-induced CCL injury. Future studies with larger samples sizes are needed to confirm EMG activity in stabilizing muscles of the stifle to further investigate the role of neuromuscular control in stifle stability. Several outcome parameters such as thigh circumference, pain, lameness, range of motion, cranial drawer test and radiography, and have been shown to be useful in identifying the presence of CCLR, but not subclinical CCL disease

Intervention Types and Frequency in Animal Prosthetics and Orthotics

Orthotic and prosthetic interventions in veterinary medicine have been performed on a wide range of animal species, aiding in rehabilitation and healing for various pathologies. Contrary to popular belief, veterinary orthotics and prosthetics are not a recent development but have a long history. This study aimed to assess the frequency, cause, and nature of veterinary interventions that could have benefited from orthotic and prosthetic interventions across different species. Data were collected through a survey administered to veterinarians and veterinary orthotic and prosthetic professionals. The outcomes of the investigation contribute to enhancing the knowledge surrounding veterinary amputations, arthrodesis, and the use of orthotic and prosthetic interventions. The survey findings reveal valuable insights into the world of veterinary orthotics and prosthetics, highlighting the growing recognition of their potential benefits among veterinarians. The diverse range of interventions reported and the inclusion of various species underscore the versatility and applicability of orthotics and prosthetics in veterinary medicine. By addressing the recommendations from this study, future research can further advance the field of veterinary orthotics and prosthetics, expanding our understanding of their applications, improving treatment options, and ultimately enhancing the quality of life and mobility of animals in need

Sacrococcygeal epidural injection for chronic pain management in dogs with lumbosacral stenosis: a retrospective study

Degenerative lumbosacral stenosis in dogs is thought to be a multifactorial disease, with both mechanical and inflammatory underlying causes. Because of the decreased quality of life of the dogs affected by this condition, an accurate diagnosis and a directed and effective treatment should always be put in action. It is also important to keep investigating the pathogenesis of degenerative lumbosacral stenosis, since with better understanding of the disease, better and more accurate treatment options can be put in practice in the veterinary clinical routine. This dissertation is composed of a literature review about canine degenerative lumbosacral stenosis, as well as a retrospective study to assess the outcome of a sacrococcygeal epidural injection of triamcinolone, lidocaine, and morphine for chronic pain management in six dogs affected with this condition, which was evaluated at one and three months after the treatment. Although it was not possible to prove an improvement of most clinical signs after the treatment, the results of this study are encouraging since the efficacy of the sacrococcygeal injection was demonstrated and the overall quality of life seemed to improve in all six dogs; RESUMO: Injeção epidural sacrococcígea para controlo de dor crónica em cães com estenose lombossagrada: um estudo retrospetivo A estenose lombossagrada em cães é considerada uma doença degenerativa de origem multifatorial, em que existem fatores mecânicos e inflamatórios na sua génese. Devido ao impacto na qualidade de vida dos cães afetados por esta condição, é importante estabelecer um diagnóstico correto, assim como um tratamento eficaz e bem direcionado. É também importante que se aprofunde a investigação acerca da patogénese da estenose lombossagrada, uma vez que dispondo de um melhor conhecimento da doença, melhores tratamentos com maior eficácia poderão ser aplicados à prática clínica veterinária. Esta dissertação é composta por uma revisão de literatura acerca da estenose lombossagrada canina degenerativa, assim como por um estudo retrospetivo para averiguar o efeito após um e três meses da administração de uma injeção epidural sacrococcígea de triamcinolona, lidocaína e morfina para controlo de dor crónica em seis cães afetados por esta condição. Embora não tenha sido possível provar a melhoria de todos os sinais clínicos após o tratamento, os resultados deste estudo mostraram-se encorajadores, uma vez que a injeção sacrococcígea se demonstrou eficaz e, numa perspetiva geral, a qualidade de vida de todos os cães melhorou após o tratamento

Evaluation of Metamizole and Carprofen as postoperative analgesics in canine total hip replacement

Evaluierung von Metamizol und Carprofen als postoperative Analgetika nach Hüftgelenksersatz bei Hunden. Das Ziel dieser Studie war es, die analgetische Wirkung der von den jeweiligen Arzneimittelfirmen für den Hund empfohlenen Dosierungen von Metamizol im Vergleich zu Carprofen nach Hüftgelenkersatz zu bewerten. Es ist bekannt, dass Metamizol ein potentes Analgetikum beim Menschen ist. Bis heute gibt es keine Studien zur postoperativen Wirksamkeit von Metamizol beim Hund. Subjektive (Melbourne Schmerzskala (mMPS) und visuelle Analogskala (VAS)) und objektive (Ganganalyse, in welcher die vertikale Spitzenkraft (PVF) und der vertikale Impuls gemessen wurden) Bewertungsverfahren wurden in dieser Studie für die Evaluierung der Schmerzen herangezogen. 39 klinisch gesunde Hunde mit einem Körpergewicht zwischen 5,5 und 60,5 kg (keine Rassespezifität) wurden in diese Studie eingeschlossen. Die Hunde wurden nach Randomisierung in zwei Gruppen verteilt: Tiere der Gruppe M (n = 19) erhielten 50 mg•kg-1 IV Metamizol TID. Tiere der Gruppe C (n = 20) erhielten 4 mg•kg-1 Carprofen IV SID. Die Patienten wurden 3, 6, 9, 12, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 44, 48 and 56 Stunden nach Operationsende subjektiv beurteilt. Wurden bei der Evaluierung mittels mMPS bzw. VAS Punktwerte von 12 bzw. 50 Punkten überschritten, so wurde dies als Anzeichen von Schmerzen betrachtet, welche mit einer intravenösen Gabe von Buprenorphin, 10 μg•kg-1, behandelt wurden (rescue analgesia). Eine Ganganalyse wurde einmal präoperativ (preOP) und dann am ersten (OP1) und zweiten (OP2) postoperativen Tag durchgeführt. Drei Patienten in der Gruppe C benötigten in den ersten 3 bis 6 postoperativen Stunden rescue analgesia. Keines der Tiere in Gruppe M benötigte die Gabe zusätzlicher Schmerzmittel. Sowohl bei der mMPS als auch bei der VAS zeigten Tiere der Gruppe M im Vergleich zu Gruppe C über den gesamten Zeitraum niedrigere Schmerz-Werte. Je nach verwendeter Schmerzskala waren diese Unterschiede nach 6 h (mMPS) bzw. nach 24 h (VAS) als signifikant zu betrachten (p < 0.05). Die postoperativen Ganganalysen zeigten bei Hunden der Gruppe M eine bessere Belastung der operierten Gliedmaße (p < 0.05). Diese Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die alleinige Verwendung von Metamizol als Analgetikum eine potente und zufriedenstellende Analgesie nach orthopädischen Eingriffen bei Hunden gewährleistet. Des Weiteren wurde gezeigt, dass die alleinige Verwendung von Carprofen in der vom Hersteller empfohlenen Dosierung nach Hüftgelenksersatz bei Hunden nicht immer eine zufriedenstellende Analgesie hervorruft

Exploring the Application of Wearable Movement Sensors in People with Knee Osteoarthritis

People with knee osteoarthritis have difficulty with functional activities, such as walking or get into/out of a chair. This thesis explored the clinical relevance of biomechanics and how wearable sensor technology may be used to assess how people move when their clinician is unable to directly observe them, such as at home or work. The findings of this thesis suggest that artificial intelligence can be used to process data from sensors to provide clinically important information about how people perform troublesome activities

Canine hip dysplasia: radiographic evaluation of german shepherds

Canine hip dysplasia is a common orthopedic disorder that affects dogs of all ages and breeds. The exact cause and hereditability of this condition remain unclear. However, good progress has been made in recent years. It is described as a polygenic multifactorial condition. Different treatments are available, whether a surgical or conservative approach is pursued. This dissertation includes a literature review considering the topic of canine hip dysplasia and a preliminary, exploratory study that has the objective of evaluating different radiographic measurements and investigating their correlations and their possible value to help diagnose and differentiate German Shepherds with or without hip dysplasia. For this purpose, acetabular measurements were made in radiographs obtained in the standard hip-extended ventrodorsal view. The results suggest statistically relevant differences between dysplastic and nondysplastic and also between male and female dogs. However, further investigation on these measurements and their utility is warranted; RESUMO: DISPLASIA DE ANCA EM CÃES: AVALIAÇÃO RADIOGRÁFICA DE PASTORES ALEMÃES EM PORTUGAL Displasia de anca em cães é um problema ortopédico comum que afeta cães de todas as idades e raças. As causas e heritabilidade exata desta condição continuam obscura. Apesar de se ter registado um bom progresso ultimamente. É descrita como uma doença poligénica e multifatorial. Diferentes tratamentos médicos e cirúrgicos estão disponíveis. Esta dissertação inclui uma revisão bibliográfica sobre displasia de anca em cães e um estudo preliminar e exploratório que tem como objetivo avaliar diferentes medidas radiográficas e investigar as suas correlações e o seu potencial valor para ajudar no diagnóstico e diferenciação de Pastores Alemães com ou sem displasia. Assim, foram realizadas diferentes medidas acetabulares foram realizadas em radiografias obtidas na vista ventrodorsal com os membros em extensão máxima. Os resultados sugerem diferenças estatisticamente relevantes entre cães com e sem displasia e entre machos e fêmeas. Contudo, mais estudos sobre estas medidas e a sua utilidade são necessários