Evaluation of Radiographic Coxofemoral Measurements in Boerboel Dogs

This study compares the coxofemoral parameters used for the detection of hip dysplasia in humans with Norberg angles in Boerboel dogs. Twenty adult Boerboel dogs of both sexes (mean weight: 54.0 ± 7.54 kg) were used. They were premedicated with Xylazine (0.5 mg.kg⁻¹) and induced with a propofol (4 mg.kg⁻¹) injection. Extended antero-posterior radiographs of the hip were obtained with a digital X-ray machine. Linear Femoral Overlap (LFO), Norberg Angle (NA), Sourcil Sector Angle (SSA), Center Edge Angle (CEA) and Acetabular Index Angle (AIA) were determined. The inter- and intra-observer variability were calculated from inter- and intra- class correlation coefficient using the analysis of variance (ANOVA). Fischer’s exact test was used to define the statistically significant difference in measurements between sexes and hip dysplasia status. A significant difference was set at P < 0.05. The intra-observer agreement was high for NA and CEA, moderate for AIA, but low for SSA and LFO, while inter-observer agreement was high for NA and CEA, moderate for LFO and AIA, but very low for SSA. There was no significant (P < 0.05) difference in the measured parameters between male and female Boerboels, however, NA and CEA were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in Boerboels with hip dysplasia than those with normal hips. The CEA does not have advantage over NA for radiographic screening of dogs with hip dysplasia.