title: Establishment of normal anatomical radial angles in cats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  1) To describe a radiographic method for determination of joint orientation lines and anatomical joint angles in orthogonal planes of feline radii; 2) to establish a range of normal radial joint orientation angles and anatomical axes in a feline population; and 3) to assess the repeatability and reliability of this methodology.
  
  
  METHODS
  The radial anatomical axis, elbow and carpal joint reference lines, and the intersecting angles of each: anatomical medial proximal (aMPRA) and lateral distal radial angles (aLDRA), anatomical caudal proximal (aCdPRA) and distal radial angles (aCdDRA), and sagittal procurvatum (SP) were determined on the orthogonal radiographs of 14 feline limbs. Intra- and inter-observer agreement was determined based on repeated independent readings by two observers using Bland-Altman plots.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean ± standard deviation (SD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the feline radii were: aMPRA 70.97 ± 3.38° (70.07 - 71.88°), aLDRA 91.72 ± 3.26° (90.84 - 92.59°), aCdPRA 100.5 ± 3.14° (99.62 - 101.3º), aCdDRA 79.95 ± 3.77° (78.94 - 80.96°) and SP 11.07 ± 1.87° (10.57 - 11.58°). The highest mean bias found for both observers was -1.6 to -1.8° for the angle aCdDRA. Sagittal procurvatum had the lowest mean bias for intra- and inter-observer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained showed that the methodology used in our study was repeatable and reliable. The values established for the normal radial anatomical angles are relevant for future use as a reference for surgical treatment of angular deformities, malunions, non-unions, comminuted fractures, and future orthopaedic research.
authors.affiliation: Brigite de Lima Dantas, DVM, MRCVS, Pride Veterinary Centre - Referrals, Small Animal Surgery Service, Riverside Road, Derby DE24 8HX, United Kingdom, E-mail: brigitedantas@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Brigite
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Lima Dantas
authors.forename: Alexane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Parkin
authors.forename: Cameron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Broome
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053587:Arthrometry, Articular / Q000662:veterinary*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002415:Cats / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D007596:Joints / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011859:Radiography / Q000662:veterinary; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
keywords: Anatomical axis; cats; radial angles; radial procurvatum