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Review
. 2014 Nov;55(11):1057-65.

Kinetic measurements of gait for osteoarthritis research in dogs and cats

Maxim Moreau  1 , Bertrand Lussier  1 , Laurent Ballaz  1 , Eric Troncy  1
Affiliations
Review

Kinetic measurements of gait for osteoarthritis research in dogs and cats

Maxim Moreau et al. Can Vet J. 2014 Nov.

Abstract
in English, French

Over the past 2 decades the measurement of ground reaction forces (GRF) has been extensively used in dogs and cats to gain insights on normal locomotion, discrepancies under pathologic conditions, and biomechanical changes following surgical procedures. Ground reaction forces have become a well-established outcome measure of pain-related functional impairment in animals affected by experimental and naturally occurring osteoarthritis. This paper comprehensively reviews the nature of GRF and presents arguments regarding its measurement in osteoarthritis research.

Mesure cinétique de la démarche du chien et du chat en contexte de recherche sur l’arthrose. Au cours des deux dernières décennies, la mesure des forces de réaction au sol (FRS) a été largement utilisée chez les chiens et les chats afin de mieux comprendre la locomotion normale, les anomalies en conditions pathologiques et les changements biomécaniques suivant une procédure chirurgicale. Les FRS au sol sont devenues un critère d’évaluation bien connu de la limitation fonctionnelle liée à la douleur chez l’animal atteint d’arthrose expérimentale et naturelle. Le présent manuscrit dresse un aperçu de la nature des FRS et présente les arguments qui supportent son usage dans un contexte de recherche sur l’arthrose.(Traduit par les auteurs).

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sagittal and frontal views of a dog in a standing position. The three orthogonal force (F) vectors are paired with their oppositely directed ground reaction forces (GRF). The center of mass (COM) is located according to previously published scheme (9) and is only indicative of its exact position. The Fmedial refers to the right limbs.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Typical curves of the ground reaction forces. Measurements are from a 27-kg golden retriever dog crossing the force plate at a trotting gait velocity (2.0 m/s). Ground reaction forces are considered positive when directed upward, cranially, and medially. The stance phase is expressed for the forelimb and hind limb to ease their distinction. Peaks denote the points of maximal values of the fore and hind limb GRFvertical.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Ground reaction vector. The concept of sagittal GRF ground reaction vector (GRV) is illustrated using a right angled triangle according to the Pythagorean theorem. In the sagittal plane, vertical ground reaction force (GRFvertical), and GRFcraniocaudal (caudal component) are orthogonal, giving the magnitude of the GRV as the square root of GRFvertical2 + GRFcraniocaudal2. The angle θ refers to the direction of the GRV obtained by the tangential−1 of GRFvertical/GRFcraniocaudal.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Progression of the ground reaction vector. Illustration of the progression of the ground reaction vector (GRV) for a 27-kg dog crossing the force plate at a trotting gait velocity (2.0 m/s). The measures are for the forelimb. The degrees indicate the direction of the GRV at specific points of the stance phase. The length of the lines indicates the magnitude of the GRV. The direction and magnitude of the GRV are calculated according to the ground reaction force value presented in Figure 2. In the background, forelimb bone position is detailed in gray as previously illustrated (7) and is only indicative of its exact position. The length of the bar indicates 50% of body weight.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Patterns of footfalls. Illustration of patterns of footfalls from a 23-kg dog crossing a force/pressure measurement system at a trotting gait velocity (2.0 m/s). The corresponding typical curves of the vertical ground reaction forces are also illustrated. For this dog, a cycle of footfalls has a 0.5-second duration and 0.5-meter long. Both fore and hind limb footfalls usually overlap, which is not illustrated here for clarity purposes.
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References

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