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Open Access
CC BY 4.0 · VCOT Open 2022; 05(02): e116-e122
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1750036
Original Article

Lameness Localization in Dogs: An Exploratory Study of the Translation of the Equine Flexion Test to Canine Orthopaedics

Diane Grosjean 
1   Department of Medical Imaging and Small Animal Orthopedics, Ghent University – Faculteit Diergeneeskunde, Merelbeke, Belgium
,
Evelien De Bakker 
1   Department of Medical Imaging and Small Animal Orthopedics, Ghent University – Faculteit Diergeneeskunde, Merelbeke, Belgium
,
Amélie Mugnier
2   NeoCare – Néonatalogie des Carnivores, Reproduction et Elevage, Université de Toulouse, ENVT, Toulouse Cedex 3, France
,
Francis Verschooten
3   Department of Large Animal Surgery and Anesthesia, Ghent University – Faculteit Diergeneeskunde, Merelbeke, Belgium
,
Ulrich Rytz 
3   Department of Large Animal Surgery and Anesthesia, Ghent University – Faculteit Diergeneeskunde, Merelbeke, Belgium
,
Franck Forterre 
3   Department of Large Animal Surgery and Anesthesia, Ghent University – Faculteit Diergeneeskunde, Merelbeke, Belgium
,
Yves Samoy 
1   Department of Medical Imaging and Small Animal Orthopedics, Ghent University – Faculteit Diergeneeskunde, Merelbeke, Belgium
,
Bernadette Van Ryssen
1   Department of Medical Imaging and Small Animal Orthopedics, Ghent University – Faculteit Diergeneeskunde, Merelbeke, Belgium
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Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to describe the method and feasibility of the flexion test (FT) as a diagnostic tool to localize lameness on dogs.

Study Design Canine FT was designed and based on the FT routinely used on horses. In dogs, the test consisted in a flexion of a joint to its full range of motion for 1 minute. Eventual increased lameness was then evaluated. The gait was evaluated using a visual analogue scale. An increase in the lameness score compared with the baseline score was considered as a positive result.

The method was described for every major joint of the appendicular skeleton and was evaluated in sound and lame dogs. To evaluate the feasibility, the FT was applied for 3 minutes in eight healthy dogs on all joints. On 27 clinically lame dogs, flexion was applied for 1 minute on the joints with a suspected pathology and on their contralateral side used as a control.

Results The FT was feasible and well tolerated by the sound dogs on all joints and no positive results were recorded. On clinically lame dogs, lameness increased in 81.5% of dogs. These cases were afterwards diagnosed with an orthopaedic-related disorder and then defined as true positives. False negative results occurred in 18.5% of the lameness cases.

Conclusion The FT is safe and easy to perform. It did not produce any false positive results. False negatives might occur in a minor number of cases, implying that a negative result does not exclude a joint pathology.

Keywords

lameness evaluation - orthopaedic examination - joint pain - diagnostic tool - locomotor system


Publication History

Received: 03 September 2021

Accepted: 29 March 2022

Article published online:
21 October 2022

© 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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