Technical Repeatability and Reproducibility of the Stress Radiographs Performed with the Vezzoni-Modified Badertscher Hip Distension Device

Mileva Bertal; Lieve De Rycke; Aldo Vezzoni; Ingeborgh Polis; Jimmy H. Saunders; Bart J. G. Broeckx

doi:10.1055/s-0038-1676306

Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Table of Contents

Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 2019; 32(01): 067-072
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1676306

Original Research

Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Technical Repeatability and Reproducibility of the Stress Radiographs Performed with the Vezzoni-Modified Badertscher Hip Distension Device

Authors

Mileva Bertal

¹Department of Medical Imaging and Orthopaedics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
Lieve De Rycke

¹Department of Medical Imaging and Orthopaedics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
Aldo Vezzoni

²Clinica Veterinaria Vezzoni, Cremona, Italy
Ingeborgh Polis

³Department of Medicine and Clinical Biology of Small Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
Jimmy H. Saunders

¹Department of Medical Imaging and Orthopaedics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
Bart J. G. Broeckx

⁴Department of Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium

Abstract

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of the radiographical stress technique using the Vezzoni-modified Badertscher distension device (VMBDD).

Materials and Methods Stress radiographs of 10 dogs obtained with the VMBDD were performed consecutively by two different operators and then measured twice by a third veterinarian. The technical repeatability was first assessed individually for the two operators who took the stress radiographs, followed by the technical reproducibility. The obtained variances were used to calculate the 95% limits of agreement for the measurement repeatability, the technical repeatability and the technical reproducibility.

Results Both the technical repeatability and reproducibility of the VMBDD technique were good, with the 95% limits of agreement of the measurement repeatability and technical repeatability equalling ± 0.07 overall, and the 95% limits of agreement of the technical reproducibility being ± 0.09.

Clinical Significance These results, in combination with the previous results for the measurement of the laxity index, support the use of the VMBDD as a reliable in-house evaluation method to assess the hip joint by trained clinicians. For screening purposes, however, we suggest to limit the number of evaluators, to limit the variability.

Keywords

hip - laxity - radiographs - repeatability - reproducibility

Full Text

References

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