Acute coxofemoral (hip) luxation is the most common type of joint dislocation in dogs. Radiography is the gold standard for diagnosing hip luxation. However, radiography poses radiation risks to personnel and patients, and often requires a patient stable enough to tolerate sedation. In other species, including human, equine, and bovine
patients, ultrasonography is commonly utilized for diagnosing hip luxation. The objective of this study is to determine the accuracy and utility of ultrasonography in the diagnosis and treatment of canine coxofemoral luxations. To achieve this objective, this study aims to establish a cadaver model of the four directions of hip luxation and the ultrasound windows for accurately diagnosing these four types of hip luxation. The intra- and inter-observer accuracy of ultrasound for diagnosing the direction of hip luxation will be assessed utilizing cadaveric models. The ultrasound windows for diagnosing hip luxation will then be utilized in a clinical setting and compared with radiographs for the diagnosis and treatment of patients presenting with acute coxofemoral luxations. In addition to diagnosing the type of luxation and confirming successful closed (non-surgical) reduction of the luxation, ultrasound will be evaluated in its ability to diagnose features of hip disease that are contraindicators for performing closed reduction (e.g. avulsion fracture, degenerative joint disease, etc.). The potential advantages of assessing for hip luxation with ultrasound instead of radiographs include the ability to more quickly assess for hip luxation in unstable patients that cannot be sedated, reduced cost and time for imaging, the ability to perform the imaging examination cage-side, and reduced radiation exposure for the patient and personnel. The study hypothesis is that ultrasound is an accurate imaging modality for diagnosing types of acute canine hip luxation and can be utilized to guide and assess the success of closed reduction of acute hip luxation in a clinical setting.