Canine hip dysplasia (HDD) is a common orthopaedic disease. Due to the importance of canine hip dysfunction in affected dogs, both clinically and for their use in breeding or work, increasing attention is being paid to early diagnosis. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for early clinical and radiological examination of young animals, whereas routine screening for LCI according to the International Kennel Club (FCI) is usually performed at 12 months of age or older in Europe. One way to objectively assess gait pattern is to measure ground reaction forces (GRFs) and centre of pressure (COP). In this study, we used a pressure plate to assess GRF and COP parameters in 32 Labrador retrievers and 17 golden retrievers at 4, 8 and 12 months of age. The dogs also underwent radiographic examination of the hip joints according to FCI rules at at least 12 months of age and were categorized as healthy (FCI grade A or B) and diseased (FCI grade C or worse). Results revealed significantly higher COP values in both breeds in the diseased limb groups at any point of measurement during gait, with the most significant results obtained at 8 months of age. In addition, COP values at gait at 4 months were significantly higher than at 8 and 12 months for both healthy and diseased limb groups, indicating increased stability of gait pattern. With the exception of COP-Speed, all COP values were higher at walking than at trotting at 4 months of age (i.e., COP-Speed was higher at trotting), suggesting that the four-beat gait pattern is more difficult for pups to control than the two-beat gait pattern at trot. Overall, our results support early assessment of LBP in growing animals using non-invasive methods.
Virag Y, Gumpenberger M, Tichy A, Lutonsky C, Peham C, Bockstahler B. Center of pressure and ground reaction forces in Labrador and Golden Retrievers with and without hip dysplasia at 4, 8, and 12 months of age. Front Vet Sci. 2022 Dec 22;9:1087693. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1087693. PMID: 36619950; PMCID: PMC9814507.
