Noninvasive determination of body segment parameters of the hind limb in Labrador Retrievers with and without cranial cruciate ligament disease.
OBJECTIVE
To determine mass, center of mass (COM), and moment of inertia (ie, body segment parameters [BSPs]) of hind limb segments by use of a noninvasive method based on computerized tomography (CT) in Labrador Retrievers with and without cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) disease and to provide regression equations to estimate BSPs of normal, CCL-deficient, and contralateral hind limbs.


METHODS
14 clinically normal and 10 CCL-deficient Labrador Retrievers.


METHODS
Bone, muscle, and fat areas were identified via CT. Mass, COM, and moment of inertia were determined on the basis of tissue densities in the thigh, crus, and foot segments. Regression models were developed to determine predictive equations to estimate BSP on the basis of simple morphometric measurements.


RESULTS
The thigh and crus of CCL-deficient limbs weighed less than in contralateral segments. Thighs weighed less in CCL-deficient than in normal limbs. The thigh moment of inertia was less in CCL-deficient than in contralateral limbs. The crural COM was located more distally in normal limbs, compared with other limbs. Predictive equations to estimate BSP varied by parameter, body segment, and limb status.


CONCLUSIONS
BSPs of the thigh and crus varied with segment and status of the hind limb in Labrador Retrievers with or without CCL disease. Equations to estimate BSP on the basis of simple morphometric measurements were proposed, providing a basis for nonterminal studies of inverse dynamics of the hind limbs in Labrador Retrievers. This approach may offer new strategies to investigate the pathogenesis of nontraumatic joint diseases.
Ragetly
Chantal A
CA
Small Animal Clinic, Department of Small Animal Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
Griffon
Dominique J
DJ
Thomas
Jason E
JE
Mostafa
Ayman A
AA
Schaeffer
David J
DJ
Pijanowski
Gerald J
GJ
Hsiao-Wecksler
Elizabeth T
ET