DYNAMIC ULTRASONOGRAPHIC MEASUREMENT OF PASSIVE COXOFEMORAL JOINT LAXITY IN PUPPIES

A new method of dynamic ultrasonographic evaluation of passive coxofem oral joint laxity was used to examine a fetal of 30 greyhound (n=13) a nd nongreyhound (n=17) puppies. Puppies were evaluated sonographically at four, six, eight, 12, 16, and 26 weeks of age. The coxofemoral joi nts were distracted manually, and the femoral head displacements were measured during distraction. The greyhounds had significantly smaller (p less than 0.01) maximum distraction distance (mean+/-standard devia tion [SD] 0.11+/-0.04 cm) than nongreyhound puppies (mean+/-SD, 0.26+/ -0.10 cm). In six- to eight-week-old puppies, the maximum distraction distance was correlated significantly (p of 0.0001, adjusted correlati on coefficient [r(2)] of 0.27) with stress radiographic indices. Coxof emoral joints interpreted as being abnormal on hip-extended radiograph s taken at one year of age were associated significantly (p of 0.0001) with higher maximum distraction distances in six- to eight-week-old p uppies.