Development of a Canine Rigid Body Musculoskeletal Computer Model to Evaluate Gait

Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 2020 · DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00150 · Published: March 11, 2020

Simple Explanation

This study developed a computer model of a Dachshund's hind legs to predict muscle activity and forces during walking. The model combines bone and muscle data from CT scans with motion capture data to simulate how muscles work during gait. The goal is to better understand how muscles contribute to movement and potentially identify early signs of neuromuscular or orthopedic issues in dogs.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

A 2 year old healthy female Dachshund (5.4 kg)

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
The musculoskeletal computer model accurately replicated experimental canine angular kinematics associated with gait.
2
The model predicted that the adductor magnus et brevis, iliopsoas, gastrocnemius, and biceps femoris muscles were the most active during the stance phase of gait.
3
During swing, the adductor magnus et brevis and rectus femoris muscles were found to be the most active.

Research Summary

This study developed a dynamic rigid body musculoskeletal model of the pelvis and pelvic limbs in a healthy chondrodystrophic dog evaluated with kinematics and kinetics during gait. The musculoskeletal computer model accurately replicated canine gait and predicted muscle activations and forces. Musculoskeletal modeling allows for quantiﬁcation of measures such as individual muscle activation and forces that are diﬃcult or impossible to measure in vivo.

Practical Implications

Enhanced Understanding of Canine Gait

The model allows for a more detailed understanding of muscle function during canine gait, which is difficult to measure directly.

Potential for Early Diagnosis

The model could help in identifying early indicators of neuromuscular or orthopedic disorders in dogs.

Personalized Rehabilitation

The model can aid in developing targeted rehabilitation strategies for dogs with gait abnormalities.

Study Limitations

1
The model was utilized to evaluate one gait cycle from a single dog.
2
Small diﬀerences in kinematics (e.g., hip angle) between model-predicted and experimental data could be due to slight diﬀerences in model virtual marker locations and experimentally placed markers.
3
In our model muscle characteristics such as optimal ﬁber length, tendon slack length, and pennation angle were estimated from values reported for larger, non-chondrodystrophic breed dogs and may diﬀer from muscle characteristics of chondrodystrophic breeds.

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