GenPup-M: A novel validated owner-reported clinical metrology instrument for detecting early mobility changes in dogs

• Published in: PloS one 2023-12, Vol.18 (12), p.e0291035-e0291035
• Main Authors: Clark, Natasha L, Bates, Karl T, Harris, Lauren K, Tomlinson, Andrew W, Murray, Jane K, Comerford, Eithne J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arthritis; Biology and Life Sciences; Care and treatment; Consistency; Correlation; Criteria; Data collection; Diagnosis; Disease; Dogs; Eigenvalues; Factor analysis; Gait; Health aspects; Kinematics; Longitudinal studies; Magnetic resonance imaging; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metrology; Mobility; Orthopedics; Osteoarthritis; Pain; Physically disabled persons; Principal components analysis; Quality of life; Quantitative analysis; Quantitative research; Questionnaires; Radiography; Research and Analysis Methods; Statistical analysis; Surgeons; Thorax; Vaccination; Validity; Vertical forces; Veterinary medicine; Veterinary surgeons
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291035

To use a previously validated veterinary clinical examination sheet, Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs (LOAD) questionnaire, combined with kinetic and kinematic gait analysis in dogs with/without mobility problems to demonstrate the capacity of a novel clinical metrology instrument ("GenPup-M") to detect canine mobility impairments. Quantitative study. 62 dogs (31 with mobility impairments and 31 without mobility impairments). The dogs' clinical history was obtained from owners and all dogs underwent a validated orthopaedic clinical examination. Mobility impairments were diagnosed in the mobility impaired group based on clinical history and orthopaedic examination. Owners were asked to complete GenPup-M along with a previously validated mobility questionnaire (Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs (LOAD)) to identify construct validity. As a test of criterion validity, the correlation between instrument scores and the overall clinical examination scores, along with force-platform obtained peak vertical forces (PVF) were calculated. GenPup-M underwent internal consistency and factor analysis. Spatiotemporal parameters were calculated for dogs with/without mobility impairments to define the gait differences between these two groups. Principal Component Analysis identified GenPup-M had two components with Eigenvalues >1 ("stiffness/ease of movement" and "willingness to be active/exercise"). Cronbach's α was used to test internal consistency of GenPup-M and was found to be "good" (0.87). There was a strong, positive correlation between GenPup-M and LOAD responses (r2 = 0.69, p