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Site Overview
Having an understanding of locomotion can help to:
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Evaluate the conformation and gait of any dog.
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It can be used diagnostically to determine causes and location
of lameness.
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Post-treatment it can be used to assess rehabilitation from
injuries.
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In the competitive dog it can be used to assess any subclinical
factors that might affect performance.
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Basics of Locomotion
Structure
Canine locomotion can be used to assess the function of the body as
a whole by evaluating the functions of it's individual components.
The anatomy of the dog's body is designed symmetrically. The right
side should mirror the left side. In theory then the movements of
the right side should mirror the movements of the left side. This
is true to an extent, with variances due to laterality, in other words
some dogs are right-handed and some dogs are left-handed.
Body Symmetry
Locomotion
To evaluate balanced body movement we can analyze canine locomotion.
The common name for analysis of canine locomotion is "gait analysis".
There are various forms of gait, which are a combined result of body anatomy
and velocity of movement. Gaits can be defined as symmetrical or
asymmetrical. While in a symmetrical gait, the movements of the sides
of the dog mirror each other. Examples of these gaits are the walk,
trot, and pace. In an asymmetrical gait the movements of the two
sides are not the same. The running gallup is an example of this
type of gait.
The Phases of the Trot Gait
The best gaits to use for gait analysis are the symmetrical gaits,
the walk or the trot. It is easier to pick up abnormal movement while
a dog is moving symmetrically. The trot is a two phase gait, and
the gait that is utilized by our CAV motion analysis system we currently
using for the dog. In the trot gait, one front leg and its' contralateral
rear leg are in support, followed by the other front leg and it's contralateral
rear leg. This gait is usually used by the dog at speeds to fast
to walk but not fast enough for a run. Some breeds use a pace gait
instead of the trot. The pace is similar to the trot except that
the right side legs are in support followed by the left side legs.
Our system is capable of analyzing a dog in a pace gait.
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Lameness
Lameness is defined as a variance from normal gait. There are
two types of lameness: anatomical and pathologic. Anatomical lameness
may not necessarily be from pain, and can be genetic or acquired.
Pathological lameness can be neural or musculoskeletal. Musculoskeletal
lameness is usually caused by pain . Two diagnostic tools to assess
lameness are gait analysis and the physical exam. The amount of variance
from a normal gait is defined in degrees of lameness.
Most abnormalalities can be detected with subjective gait analysis.
A dog with a lesion causing severe sharp constant pain will carry the limb
and keep the wieight off it when lying down. A dull aching pain will
produce a limp during the gait analysis. A lesion that produces a
small pain that occurs in certain phases of locomotion allows the dog to
adjust its gait for relief. The quadruped has the ability to minimize
pain by altering movement in such a way that the abnormality may be unnoticeable.
This altered gait can lead to subsequent orthopedic problems.
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Gait Analysis
Canine locomotion can be compared to a symphony orchestra playing a
composition. "All parts must blend into a harmonious pattern, from
the gentle sway of the head and tail for balance to the coordinated efforts
of each limb and body muscle to accomplish its special function.
Conversely, also like an orchestra, if all movements are not attuned to
the whole, a major fault should be evident" (Roy 1971) .
The canine structure is divided into segments when analyzing motion.
The axial vertebral column is made up of many joints and is divided into
anatomical segments. The cranial segment is the head, followed caudally
by the neck (cervical), thoracic, abdominal (lumbo-sacral), and tail.
The appendicular segments are the front legs and the back legs. These
are subdivided into smaller segments by the leg joints: shoulder, elbow,
carpus, hip, stifle, tarsus & phalanges. Locomotion as a whole
is a result of the individual movements of these segments. Gait analysis
is used to assess the movement of each of the individual joints and how
they affect locomotion.
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Axial Skeleton includes:
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Head
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Neck
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Thorax
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Abdomen
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Pelvis
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Tail
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Appendicular Skeleton Includes:
Front end
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Scapula
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Humerus
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Radius/Ulna
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Carpus
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Phalanges
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Back end
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Femur
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Tibia/Fibula
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Tarsus
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Phalanges
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Quantitative gait analysis assigns numerical values to motion and includes
the application of kinetics and kinematics. The force plate
is an example of kinetic analysis being used to assess lameness.
The numerical values of the ground reaction forces are used to determine
variances of gait. Video analysis is used to assess the kinematic
parameters of locomotion. With kinematic analysis, linear parameters
of movement can be measured to assess horizontal and vertical motion.
Also, angular parameters can measure the degrees of movement of the joints
to analyze specific joint motion.
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