An assessment of intra- and interobserver agreement of reporting orthopaedic findings on presale radiographs of Thoroughbred yearlings

• Published in: Equine veterinary journal 2014-09, Vol.46 (5), p.567-574
• Main Authors: Jackson, M. A., Vizard, A. L., Anderson, G. A., Mattoon, J. S., Lavelle, R. B., Smithenson, B. T., Lester, N. V., Clarke, A. F., Whitton, R. C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: agreement; Agreements; Animals; Arthrography - veterinary; Carpus, Animal - diagnostic imaging; Cysts; Forelimb - diagnostic imaging; Hindlimb - diagnostic imaging; horse; Horse Diseases - diagnosis; Horse Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Horse Diseases - epidemiology; Horses - anatomy & histology; interobserver; intraobserver; Joints - anatomy & histology; Knee; Observer Variation; PPOs; radiology; Retrospective Studies; Tarsus, Animal - diagnostic imaging
• ISSN: 0425-1644; 2042-3306
• DOI: 10.1111/evj.12150

Summary Reasons for performing study Radiography is commonly used in clinical practice but agreement of reporting of radiographically detected orthopaedic findings in horses has rarely been studied. Objectives To assess agreement within and between observers for reporting of orthopaedic findings on presale radiographs of Thoroughbred yearlings. Study design Retrospective analysis of archived radiographs. Methods Four veterinary radiology specialists each twice examined 167 sets of radiographs for orthopaedic findings in the fore feet, fore and hind fetlocks, carpi, tarsi and stifles. There were 27 findings analysed for agreement. Kappa statistic (κ), percentage of positive agreement (Ppos) and percentage of negative agreement are reported. Results An excellent percentage of negative agreement was observed for all findings, with the exception of regular vascular channels of the proximal sesamoid bones. Ppos and κ results were variable. The presence of extra carpal bones, osseous cyst‐like lesions of the ulnar carpal bone, sagittal ridge defects of the third metacarpus, fracture of the fore and hind proximal sesamoid bones, regular vascular channels in the hind proximal sesamoids, osteochondrosis lesions of the distal intermediate ridge and/or medial malleoli of the tibia, and osseous cyst‐like lesions in the medial femoral condyle was consistently observed with an intra‐ and interagreement κ≥0.5 and Ppos≥50%. Lucency within the proximal sesamoids consistently had an observed intra‐ and interagreement κ