Abstract

BackgroundWe recently reported that a conformation score derived from the tibial plateau angle (TPA) and the femoral anteversion angle (FAA), best discriminates limbs predisposed to, or affected by cranial cruciate ligament disease (CCLD), from those that are at low risk for CCLD. The specificity and sensitivity of this score were high enough to support further investigations toward its use for large-scale screening of dogs by veterinarians. The next step, which is the objective of the current study, is to determine inter-observer variability of that CCLD score in a large population of Labrador Retrievers. A total of 167 Labradors were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Limbs of normal dogs over 6 years of age with no history of CCLD were considered at low risk for CCLD. Limbs of dogs with CCLD were considered at high risk for CCLD. Tibial plateau and femoral anteversion angles were measured independently by two investigators to calculate a CCLD score for each limb. Kappa statistics were used to determine the extent of agreement between investigators. Pearson’s correlation and intraclass coefficients were calculated to evaluate the correlation between investigators and the relative contribution of each measurement to the variability of the CCLD score.ResultsThe correlation between CCLD scores calculated by investigators was good (correlation coefficient = 0.68 p < 0.0001). However, interobserver agreement with regards to the predicted status of limbs was fair (kappa value = 0.28), with 37% of limbs being assigned divergent classifications. Variations in CCLD scores correlated best with those of TPA, which was the least consistent parameter between investigators. Absolute interobserver differences were two times greater for FAAs (4.19° ± 3.15) than TPAs (2.23° ± 1.91).ConclusionsThe reproducibility of the CCLD score between investigators is fair, justifying caution when interpreting individual scores. Future studies should focus on improving the reproducibility of TPA and FAA measurements, as strategies to improve the agreement between CCLD scores.

Highlights

  • We recently reported that a conformation score derived from the tibial plateau angle (TPA) and the femoral anteversion angle (FAA), best discriminates limbs predisposed to, or affected by cranial cruciate ligament disease (CCLD), from those that are at low risk for CCLD

  • A total of 167 Labrador Retrievers were enrolled in the study: 72 dogs were recruited from 4 veterinary practices on the West coast; 38 dogs were enrolled by one specialty practice in the Midwest; and 57 cases were recruited from a veterinary teaching hospital/referral practice on the East coast

  • The correlation between CCLD scores measured by the two investigators was good, based upon Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) (Table 2), as well as the Number Dogs with Number p-value of normal CCLD

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Summary

Introduction

We recently reported that a conformation score derived from the tibial plateau angle (TPA) and the femoral anteversion angle (FAA), best discriminates limbs predisposed to, or affected by cranial cruciate ligament disease (CCLD), from those that are at low risk for CCLD. The step, which is the objective of the current study, is to determine inter-observer variability of that CCLD score in a large population of Labrador Retrievers. Tibial plateau and femoral anteversion angles were measured independently by two investigators to calculate a CCLD score for each limb. The cranial cruciate ligament is an important stabilizer of the canine stifle, during the stance and swing phases of gait. Cranial cruciate ligament deficiency (CCLD) is the leading cause of pelvic limb lameness and degenerative joint disease [2]. Found no difference in Cunningham et al BMC Veterinary Research (2017) 13:235

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