Hip score

Last updated April 12, 2019

Hip scoring is a procedure used to determine the degree of hip dysplasia in dogs and other animals and reporting the findings in a standard way. The hip score is the sum of the points awarded for each of nine radiographic features of both hip joints.

In dogs, hip dysplasia is an abnormal formation of the hip socket that, in its more severe form, can eventually cause crippling lameness and painful arthritis of the joints. It is a genetic (polygenic) trait that is affected by environmental factors. It is common in many dog breeds, particularly the larger breeds, and is the most common single cause of arthritis of the hips.

The domestic dog is a member of the genus Canis (canines), which forms part of the wolf-like canids, and is the most widely abundant terrestrial carnivore. The dog and the extant gray wolf are sister taxa as modern wolves are not closely related to the wolves that were first domesticated, which implies that the direct ancestor of the dog is extinct. The dog was the first species to be domesticated and has been selectively bred over millennia for various behaviors, sensory capabilities, and physical attributes.

Radiography is an imaging technique using X-rays, gamma rays, or similar radiation to view the internal form of an object. To create the image, a beam of X-rays or other form of electromagnetic radiation is produced by an X-ray generator and is projected toward the object. A certain amount of the X-rays or other radiation is absorbed by the object, dependent on the object's density and structural composition. The X-rays that pass through the object are captured behind the object by a detector. The generation of flat two dimensional images by this technique is called projectional radiography. In computed tomography an X-ray source and its associated detectors rotate around the subject which itself moves through the conical X-ray beam produced. Any given point within the subject is crossed from many directions by many different beams at different times. Information regarding attenuation of these beams is collated and subjected to computation to generate two dimensional images in three planes which can be further processed to produce a three dimensional image.

The British Veterinary Association uses the following criteria to determine hip score:

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) is the national body for veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom and is a not-for-profit organisation. Its purpose is that of knowledge dissemination, and not professional validation or academic competence. Knowledge dissemination is important in the veterinary profession to prevent a knowledge divide.

Norberg Angle
Subluxation
Cranial Acetabular Edge
Dorsal Acetabular Edge
Cranial Effective Acetabular Rim
Acetabular Fossa
Caudal Acetabular Edge
Femoral Head/Neck Exostosis
Femoral Head Recontouring

The lower the score, the less the degree of dysplasia present. The minimum (best) score for each hip is zero, and the maximum (worst) is 53, giving a range for the total of 0 to 106. Each hip is scored separately under the BVA, so within the UK scores are usually displayed as two numbers separated by a forward slash (e.g. 2/6). The highest score of one of both hips (BVA) is taken to provide a score for international comparison.

The following table compares the scores recognised by Orthopaedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (SV).

OFA (USA)	FCI (European)	BVA (UK/Australia) 1 Hip	SV (Germany)
E	A-1	0	Normal
G	A-2	1-3	Normal
F	B-1	4-6	Normal
B	B-2	7-8	Fast ["almost"] Normal
M	C	9-18	Noch Zugelassen ["still permitted/allowed"]
Mod	D	19-30	Mittlere ["intermediate"]
S	E	>30	Schwere ["heavy"/"severe"]

British Veterinarian Association^[1]

The average hip scores in the year 2005 for popular breeds from Australia are tabulated below: (Scores of both hips together)

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country by total area. The neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor to the north; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east. The population of 25 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Australia's capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney. The country's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Breed	Average score
Airedale Terrier	13
Alaskan Malamute	11
Beauceron	14
Belgian Shepherd	9
Bernese Mountain Dog	11
Border Collie	9
Bull Mastiff	23
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	15
Curly Coated Retriever	11
Dogue de Bordeaux	22
Doberman	9
German Shepherd Dog	13
Golden Retriever	16
Irish Setter	15
Japanese Akita	11
Labrador Retriever	12
Mastiff	11
Newfoundland	21
Old English Sheep Dog	17
Rhodesian Ridgeback	7
Rottweiler	10
Samoyed	19
Siberian Husky	6
St. Bernard	18
Staffordshire Bull Terrier	12
Weimaraner	10

Related Research Articles

The acetabulum is a concave surface of a pelvis. The head of the femur meets with the pelvis at the acetabulum, forming the hip joint.

A veterinary physician, usually called a vet, which is shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon, is a professional who practices veterinary medicine by treating diseases, disorders, and injuries in animals.

Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant, that is, a hip prosthesis. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi (half) replacement. Such joint replacement orthopaedic surgery is generally conducted to relieve arthritis pain or in some hip fractures. A total hip replacement consists of replacing both the acetabulum and the femoral head while hemiarthroplasty generally only replaces the femoral head. Hip replacement is currently one of the most common orthopaedic operations, though patient satisfaction short- and long-term varies widely. Approximately 58% of total hip replacements are estimated to last 25 years. The average cost of a total hip replacement in 2012 was $40,364 in the United States, and about $7,700 to $12,000 in most European countries.

Osteochondritis is a painful type of osteochondrosis where the cartilage or bone in a joint is inflamed.

A hip dislocation a disruption of the joint between the femur and pelvis. Specifically it is when the ball–shaped head of the femur comes out of the cup–shaped acetabulum of the pelvis. Symptoms typically include pain and an inability move the hip. Complications may include avascular necrosis of the hip, injury to the sciatic nerve, or arthritis.

Elbow dysplasia is a condition involving multiple developmental abnormalities of the elbow-joint in the dog, specifically the growth of cartilage or the structures surrounding it. These abnormalities, known as 'primary lesions', give rise to osteoarthritic processes. Elbow dysplasia is a common condition of certain breeds of dogs.

Hip replacement is a surgical procedure performed in dogs and cats as a salvage procedure, to alleviate severe pain in the hip due to, for example, hip dysplasia or irreparable bone fracture. The procedure replaces the head of the femur and the acetabulum with prosthetic implants. Because animals under about 40 pounds (18 kg) carry their own weight with little strain on each leg, hip modification surgeries are often sufficient to restore hip function in many cases. As a result, while hip replacement on animals can be seen in any animal of any size, from cats upwards, it is most often performed in the medium-large breeds of dogs.

Limb replacement (prosthesis) in animals is a well developed science and becoming more common. Organ replacement is rarer and much more difficult. The first pacemaker surgery on a dog was performed in 1968. About 300 pacemakers are implanted in dogs each year. Successful kidney transplants in cats have been around since the mid-1980's. Canine programs have been less successful due to the problems of immunosuppression. The way donor animals are treated remains a source of concern.

Veterinary surgery is surgery performed on animals by veterinarians, whereby the procedures fall into three broad categories: orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery, and neurosurgery. Advanced surgical procedures such as joint replacement, fracture repair, stabilization of cranial cruciate ligament deficiency, oncologic (cancer) surgery, herniated disc treatment, complicated gastrointestinal or urogenital procedures, kidney transplant, skin grafts, complicated wound management, minimally invasive procedures are performed by veterinary surgeons. Most general practice veterinarians perform routine surgery [neuters, minor mass excisions, etc.], some also perform additional procedures.

PennHIP is a program which evaluates the quality of the hips in dogs. The program was established at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 1993, with the primary objective of reducing the prevalence of hip dysplasia in dogs. To assess a dog's hip joints, three radiographs (x-rays) are taken from different angles while the dog is under general anesthesia. Radiographs are submitted to the PennHIP for assessment, and are assigned a score, called a distraction index. Veterinarians must be trained members of the PennHIP Network in order to take radiographs for these assessments. The scheme is available through veterinarians in the US and Canada.

A femoral head ostectomy is a surgical operation to remove the head and neck from the femur. It is performed to alleviate pain, and is a salvage procedure, reserved for condition where pain can not be alleviated in any other way. It is common in veterinary surgery. Other names are excision arthroplasty of the femoral head and neck, Girdlestone's operation, Girdlestone procedure, and femoral head and neck ostectomy.

The acetabular labrum is a ring of cartilage that surrounds the acetabulum of the hip. The anterior portion is most vulnerable when the labrum tears.

Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI), is a condition involving one or more anatomical abnormalities of the hip joint, which is a ball and socket joint. It is a common cause of hip pain and discomfort in young and middle-aged adults. It occurs when the ball shaped femoral head contacts the acetabulum abnormally or does not permit a normal range of motion in the acetabular socket. Damage can occur to the articular cartilage, or labral cartilage, or both. The condition may be symptomatic or asymptomatic and has been found to be a cause of osteoarthritis of the hip. Treatment options range from conservative management to surgery.

Robert L. Rooks is an American veterinarian. He is the founder of All-Care Animal Referral Center in Fountain Valley, Orange County, California. He is a diplomate of both the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners and the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Hip arthroscopy refers to the viewing of the interior of the acetabulofemoral (hip) joint through an arthroscope and the treatment of hip pathology through a minimally invasive approach. This technique is sometimes used to help in the treatment of various joint disorders and has gained popularity because of the small incisions used and shorter recovery times when compared with conventional surgical techniques. Hip arthroscopy was not feasible until recently, new technology in both the tools used and the ability to distract the hip joint has led to a recent surge in the ability to do hip arthroscopy and the popularity of it.

(Winifred) Mary Brancker, CBE, DUniv, FRCVS, (1914–2010) was an English veterinary surgeon, best known as the first woman to become president of the British Veterinary Association since its foundation in 1881.

X-rays of hip dysplasia are one of the two main methods of medical imaging to diagnose hip dysplasia, the other one being medical ultrasonography.. Ultrasound imaging yields better results defining the anatomy until the cartilage is ossified. When the infant is around 3 months old a clear roentgenographic image can be achieved. Unfortunately the time the joint gives a good x-ray image is also the point at which nonsurgical treatment methods cease to give good results.

References

↑ British Veterinarian Association, BVA, about Hip Scores.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[test-1] British Veterinarian Association, BVA, about Hip Scores.