Relationships among measurements obtained by use of computed tomography and radiography and scores of cartilage microdamage in hip joints with moderate to severe joint laxity of adult dogs.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate correlations among measurements on radiographic and computed tomography (CT) images with articular cartilage microdamage in lax hip joints of dogs.


METHODS
12 adult mixed-breed hounds.


METHODS
Pelvic CT and radiography were performed. Hip joints were harvested following euthanasia. Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and PennHIP radiograph reports were obtained. Norberg angle (NA) and radiographic percentage femoral head coverage (RPC) were determined. Center-edge angle (CEA), horizontal toit externe angle (HTEA), ventral acetabular sector angle (VASA), dorsal acetabular sector angle (DASA), horizontal acetabular sector angle (HASA), acetabular index (AI), and CT percentage femoral head coverage (CPC) were measured on 2-dimensional CT images. Femoral head-acetabular shelf percentage was measured on sagittal 3-dimensional CT (SCT) and transverse 3-dimensional CT (TCT) images. Light microscopy was used to score joint cartilage. Relationships of OFA confirmation and PennHIP osteoarthritis scores with radiography, CT, and cartilage variables and relationships of cartilage scores with radiography and CT measurements were evaluated with Spearman rank correlations. Pearson correlation was used for relationships of distraction index (DI) with radiography, CT, and cartilage variables.


RESULTS
Significant relationships included PennHIP osteoarthritis score with cartilage score, CEA, HTEA, DASA, AI, CPC, and TCT; OFA confirmation score with cartilage score, NA, RPC, CEA, HTEA, DASA, AI, CPC, and TCT; cartilage score with NA, RPC, CEA, HTEA, DASA, HASA, AI, and TCT; and DI with cartilage score, CEA, HTEA, DASA, HASA, AI, and CPC.


CONCLUSIONS
CT appeared to be a valuable imaging modality for predicting cartilage microdamage in canine hip joints.
Lopez
Mandi J
MJ
School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
Lewis
Brooke P
BP
Swaab
Megan E
ME
Markel
Mark D
MD
D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008297:Male; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011897:Random Allocation; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000662:veterinary*