Evaluation of recovery of limb function by use of force plate gait analysis after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy for management of dogs with unilateral cranial cruciate ligament rupture

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To evaluate recovery of limb function by use of gait force analysis after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) in dogs with unilateral cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) rupture. ANIMALS 19 dogs with unilateral CrCL rupture treated with TPLO. PROCEDURES Force plate gait analysis was performed before and 1, 2, 4, and 7 months after TPLO. Ground reaction forces (GRFs; which comprised peak vertical force [PVF], vertical impulse [VI], peak braking force, braking impulse, peak propulsion force [PPF], and propulsion impulse), time to switching from braking to propulsion, and vector magnitude at PVF in the forelimbs and hind limbs were evaluated. RESULTS GRFs in the affected hind limb were significantly lower than in the contralateral hind limb before TPLO. These variables, except for PPF, were not significantly different 7 months after TPLO. Time to the switching point in the affected hind limb was significantly less from before to 2 months after TPLO. Vector magnitude at PVF had a similar pattern as PVF and VI during the recovery process. The PVF in the ipsilateral forelimb was significantly higher than in the contralateral forelimb before TPLO. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE A similar pattern was detected between PVF or VI and craniocaudal force during recovery of dogs that underwent TPLO. Rupture of he CrCl resulted in a decrease in GRFs in the affected hind limb as well as in the switching point and PVF of limbs. However, weight distribution for the craniocaudal force was normalized before PVF or VI. Vector magnitude at PVF might be effectively evaluated by combining vertical force and craniocaudal force.

Kinetic gait analysis in healthy dogs and dogs with osteoarthritis: An evaluation of precision and overlap performance of a pressure-sensitive walkway and the use of symmetry indices

“…The diagnostic performance of PSW and force plate gait analysis has been extensively studied in clinically healthy dogs [12][13][14][15][16][17] and dogs with various causes of moderate or severe grades of lameness, e.g. dogs with hip dysplasia [7], cranial cruciate ligament rupture [8,18,19], experimentally-induced stifle arthritis [3], external fixation of tibial osteotomy [4], myelopathies [20], and various other orthopedic disorders [9].…”

Displacement of center of mass in dogs in response to foot sensory stimulation

“…In canine medicine, both peak vertical force and vertical impulses are reliable and widely known parameters for quantifying lameness. 4 However, walking speed, acceleration, and walking posture can have a large influence on these parameters. 8,10,38 Kinetic studies using force plates are unsuitable for studies on small dogs due to their short stride-lengths.…”

“…1 Force plates and pressure-sensitive walkways are used to compare and evaluate recovery after drug treatment and/or orthopedic surgery, 2,3 as well as both peak vertical forces and vertical impulses during walking and limb symmetry and stride length, thus making them the dynamic analysis tools for objectively evaluating pain in canine limbs. [4][5][6] Walking speed, walking characteristics, and stride length should be, however, managed to be optimal to detect and quantify pain. Analyzing dynamic parameters may be complicated if the body size is small or if multiple limbs are affected.…”

“…Analyzing dynamic parameters may be complicated if the body size is small or if multiple limbs are affected. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Therefore, other methods for evaluating limb abnormalities may be necessary to compensate such disadvantages of dynamic analysis.…”

“…Walking speed, walking characteristics, and stride length should be, however, managed to be optimal to detect and quantify pain. Analyzing dynamic parameters may be complicated if the body size is small or if multiple limbs are affected 1–11 . Therefore, other methods for evaluating limb abnormalities may be necessary to compensate such disadvantages of dynamic analysis.…”