Abstract
Hip dysplasia (HD) is common in both humans and dogs. This interconnection is because humans and dogs descended from a common ancestor and therefore have a similar anatomy at micro- and macroscopic levels. Furthermore, dogs are the animals of choice for testing new treatments for human hip dysplasia and orthopedic surgery in general. However, little literature exists comparing HD between the two species. Therefore, the aim of this review is to describe the anatomy, etiology, pathogenesis, diagnostics, and treatment of HD in humans and dogs. HD as an orthopedic condition has many common characteristics in terms of etiology and pathogenesis and most of the differences can be explained by the evolutionary differences between dogs and humans. Likewise, the treatment of HD shows many commonalities between humans and dogs. Conservative treatment and surgical interventions such as femoral osteotomy, pelvic osteotomy and total hip arthroplasty are very similar between humans and dogs. Therefore, future integration of knowledge and experiences for HD between dogs and humans could be beneficial for both species.
Highlights
Dogs and humans have developed from a common ancestor
HD is better known as canine hip dysplasia (CHD) in dogs, and developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in humans
While the exact etiology of HD for both humans and dogs remains unknown [10, 29], the general agreement is that both genetic and environmental factors influence the development of CHD and DDH [4, 8]
Summary
Dogs and humans have developed from a common ancestor Both species are vertebrates and terrestrial mammals, with a very similar homologous musculoskeletal structure (Figure 1). Humans have developed a lumbar lordosis so the center of mass (head, arms and trunk) is directly above the point of ground contact. This is more energy efficient [17, 18]. While the load orientation [19] of the hip is very similar in dogs and humans, the difference between biped and quadruped gait gives different load distribution between limbs. Because of the dominance of the front legs over the hind legs, dogs are capable of compensating for hip abnormalities (e.g., HD) by lowering their neck and increasing the load on the non-affected side [20]
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