05 Canine Hip Dysplasia: What Happens to My Dog During a PennHIP Evaluation?
Description
This article is from the Canine Hip Dysplasia FAQ, by rpd-info@zmall.com (Cindy Tittle Moore) with numerous contributions by others.
05 Canine Hip Dysplasia: What Happens to My Dog During a PennHIP Evaluation?
To obtain diagnostic radiographs, it is important that the patient and
the surrounding hip musculature be completely relaxed. For the comfort
and safety of the animal, this required sedation, however some
veterinarians prefer general anesthesia. Typically, three separate
radiographs are made during an evaluation. The first is a compression
view where the femurs are positioned in a neutral, stance-phase
orientation and the femoral heads are pushed fully into the sockets.
This helps show the true depth of the hip socket and gives an
indication of the "fit" of the ball in the socket. The second
radiograph is the distraction view. Again, the hips are positioned in
a neutral orientation and a special positioning device is used to
apply a harmless force to cause the hips to displace laterally. This
position is the most accurate and sensitive for showing the degree of
passive laxity. Passive laxity has been shown to correlate with the
susceptibility to develop DJD. A hip extended view is also included
for the sole purpose of examining for any existing joint disease such
as osteoarthritis. The PennHIP procedure has been safely performed on
thousands of patients.
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