COMPARATIVE CONVENTIONAL, SMARTPHONE
APPLICATION AND RADIOGRAPHIC
GONIOMETRIC TECHNIQUES OF THE HORSE
METACARPOPHALANGEAL JOINT
Kate Ross, DVN, Equine-Librium College; Victoria Geddes, BVSc, Equine-Librium College; Ann
Carstens, University of Pretoria, BVSc, MS, MMedVet (Large Animal Surgery), MMedVet (Diagnostic
Imaging), Dipl ECVDI, DTE, PhD
RESEARCH ABSTRACT
Reasons for performing study: Validation of a goniometric smartphone application.
Objectives: Correlation of universal goniometer (UG), “DrGoniometer” (DrG)
smartphone
applicationa
(app)
and
radiographic
measurements
of
metacarpophalangeal (MCP) angle.
Study Design and Method: Metacarpophalangeal angle measurements of thirty
horses were taken using a UG, the photography-based DrG app and a lateral digital
radiograph. For the first readings a cast was used to standardise the angle of the
MCP and in the second the MCP was in full flexion. The examiner holding the limb
was blinded to the readings while the other recorded the UG values, and took the
photograph and radiograph. Radiographic angles were measured and the positioning
of the markers for DrG photograph angle measurements were determined.
Correlations and ANOVA was performed on the data (P<0.05)
Results: Flexed angles correlated well: DrG app versus radiographs showing the
highest correlation (0.922), UG versus radiographic correlation 0.909 and UG versus
DrG app 0.873. Cast correlations were less accurate: UG versus DrG 0.681, DrG
versus radiograph 0.526 and radiograph versus UG 0.515. Significant angle
differences were found between cast and flexed, between cast UG and radiograph,
and no difference among the flexed angles.
Conclusions: Physical therapy goni