A shift towards genome screening yields a promising future combating CHD, although further investigation towards fine-mapping in the search for genes, responsible for CHD, is necessary.

Recognition of specific radiographic markers is only fairly reliable within and between experienced observers. Therefore, care must be taken to apply these traits in official screening, surgical decision-making and scientific research.

Experienced and inexperienced observers evaluated the assessability of 50 radiographs (25 dogs) and determined the hip status (dysplasia/nondysplasia and final scoring according Fe´de´ration Cynologique Internationale [FCI]-criteria) individually. A radiographic technical quality assessment was performed in a separate reading session. Interobserver agreement in determining dysplasia/nondysplasia and FCI-scoring did not significantly increase with the increasing quality of a radiograph, irrespective whether these observers are experienced or not. There was a significant agreement between the technical quality assessment and assessability (Po0.0005). Despite the effort to objectify radiographic quality and to present high-quality radiographs to observers, interobserver agreement on dysplasia/nondysplasia and final scoring, remains low, even in the experienced group. Although increased radiographic quality narrows the range of scoring, the range remains unacceptably high. r

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