Objective—To evaluate the reliability of goniometry by comparing goniometric measurements with radiographic measurements and evaluate the effects of sedation on range of joint motion. Animals—16 healthy adult Labrador Retrievers. Procedure—3 investigators blindly and independently measured range of motion of the carpus, elbow, shoulder, tarsus, stifle, and hip joints of 16 Labrador Retrievers in triplicate before and after dogs were sedated. Radiographs of all joints in maximal flexion and extension were made during under sedation. Goniometric measurements were compared with radiographic measurements. The influence of sedation and the intra- and intertester variability were evaluated; 95% confidence intervals for all ranges of motion were determined. Results—Results of goniometric and radiographic measurements were not significantly different. Results of measurements made by the 3 investigators were not significantly different. Multiple measurements made by 1 investigator varied from 1 to 6° (median, 3°) depending on the joint. Sedation did not influence the range of motion of the evaluated joints. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Goniometry is a reliable and objective method for determining range of motion of joints in healthy Labrador Retrievers. (Am J Vet Res 2002;63:979–986)

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the maneuver of altering the angle of pelvic tilt when standing is effective in changing the angle of lumbar lordosis. The importance of the study was to establish a scientific basis for a common clinical assumption. Pelvic tilt and lumbar lordosis were measured during three conditions: with subjects in a normal standing posture, with subjects assuming a maximal anterior pelvic tilt posture, and with subject assuming a maximal posterior pelvic tilt posture. Measurements of pelvic tilt and lumbar lordosis were obtained using a television/computer system that obtained the three-dimensional coordinates of markers on the pelvis and spine at 20-msec intervals. Each measurement was made three times, and all were found to be reliable, with intraclass correlation coefficients (3,1) ranging from 0.78 to 0.95 (p < 0.001). Adopting a maximal anterior pelvic tilt changed the pelvic attitude relative to the horizontal by an average fo 11.4 degrees (p < 0.001) and increased the lumbar lordosis by an average of 10.8 degrees (p < 0.001). Adopting a maximal posterior pelvic tilt changed the pelvic attitude by an average of 8.7 degrees (p < 0.001) and decreased the lumbar lordosis by an average of 9.0 degrees (p < 0.001). The results of this study demonstrate that altering the pelvic tilt significantly changes the angle of lumbar lordosis. This lends support to the use of pelvic tilting exercises to increase or decrease the degree of lumbar lordosis, at least for the duration of the exercise.

Objective—To assess the impact of partial immersion in water on vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) and vGRF distribution in dogs. Animals—10 healthy adult dogs. Procedures—Weight placed on each limb of each dog was measured 3 times (1 scale/limb). Dogs were then immersed in water to the level of the tarsal, stifle, and hip joints, and vGRFs were measured. Coefficients of variation for triplicate measurements were calculated. Mixed-effects ANOVAs were used to compare the vGRF for thoracic versus pelvic limbs and the vGRF at various immersion levels as well as the vGRF distributions among limbs at various immersion levels. Results—Mean ± SD vGRF before immersion was 249 ± 34 N. It was significantly decreased by 9% after immersion to the tarsal joints (227 ± 32 N), by 15% after immersion to the stifle joints (212 ± 21 N), and by 62% after immersion to the hip joints (96 ± 20 N). The vGRFs were significantly higher for the thoracic limbs than for the pelvic limbs before immersion and at all immersion levels. Dogs placed 64% of their weight on the thoracic limbs before immersion. That ratio did not differ significantly after immersion to the tarsus (64%) or stifle (63%) joints, but was significantly larger after immersion to the hip joints (71%). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—vGRF decreased as the depth of immersion increased. The thoracic limb-to-pelvic limb vGRF ratio was unchanged in dogs after immersion to the tarsal or stifle joints, but it increased after immersion to the hip joints.