Early Diagnosis of Canine Hip Laxity: Correlation between Clinical Orthopedic Examinations and the FCI Scoring Method in a Closed Cohort of Rottweilers

• Main Authors: Britta Vidoni, Veronika Bauer, Barbara Bockstahler, Michaela Gumpenberger, Alexander Tichy, Masoud Aghapour
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-02-01
• Series: Animals
• Subjects: hip laxity; canine hip dysplasia; Ortolani; reduction angle
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/2/416

Canine hip dysplasia is a multifactorial disorder characterized by hip laxity and osteoarthritis. The early diagnosis of hip laxity is an important topic in small animal orthopedics. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between clinical orthopedic examinations and the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) scoring method. Thirty purebred Rottweilers were examined at approximately four (20 ± 2 weeks), eight (35 ± 2 weeks), and twelve months of age (54 ± 1 weeks), respectively. The Ortolani, Barlow, and Bardens tests and reduction/subluxation angle measurements were performed at each time. FCI scoring was conducted at the third examination time. Positive correlations were recorded between the reduction angle and Ortolani test, reduction angle and FCI score, and Ortolani test and FCI score for the second and third examination dates. No correlation was observed between the subluxation angle and other methods. Despite previous studies reporting 16–20 weeks as the earliest age for diagnosing hip laxity in dogs, in our study, early diagnosis was possible from the age of 35 ± 2 weeks. This difference might originate from the small sample size, low number of the dogs with severe grades of laxity, and breed differences.