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. 2015 Jun;17(6):523-9.
doi: 10.1177/1098612X14551588. Epub 2014 Sep 19.

Gait and jump analysis in healthy cats using a pressure mat system

Sarah M Stadig  1 , Anna K Bergh  2
Affiliations

Gait and jump analysis in healthy cats using a pressure mat system

Sarah M Stadig et al. J Feline Med Surg. 2015 Jun.

Abstract

Physical orthopaedic examination in cats does not always reveal signs of lameness and no objective gait analysis method has yet been standardised for use in cats. The aims of the present study were to define appropriate parameters for pressure mat analyses during walk and jump, and to define reference values for gait parameters of healthy cats. Further, the distribution of the vertical force within the paws and the influence of a non-centred head position were investigated. The hypothesis was that cats have a symmetrical gait, a front/hindlimb asymmetry similar to dogs, and that peak vertical force (PVF) and vertical impulse (VI) have high intraclass correlation coefficients, confirming the reliability of these parameters. Data for walking (n = 46) showed gait symmetry indices of close to 1.0, besides PVF front/hind (1.3 ± 0.2). The PVF front/hind for jumping cats (n = 16) was 1.7 ± 0.6. Results from the distribution of the vertical force within the paw (n = 39) showed that the main weight during a strike is transferred from the caudal towards the craniomedial part of the paw. The findings support the hypothesis that healthy cats have similar gait symmetry to healthy dogs and that PVF and VI are reliable gait parameters. In conclusion, the present study provides a reference interval for healthy cats. Further studies are needed to investigate gait parameters in cats with orthopaedic disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors do not have any potential conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Experimental set-up with cat walking on pressure mat
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of the vertical force during one strike, right front paw. The pawprint was divided into four equally sized areas for analysis
Figure 3
Figure 3
Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for the front and hindlimbs. An ICC of 0–0.2 indicates poor agreement; 0.3–0.4 indicates fair agreement; 0.5–0.6 indicates moderate agreement; 0.7–0.8 indicates strong agreement; and >0.8 indicates almost perfect agreement. Bars indicate the SEM (P <0.01 for all bars)
Figure 4
Figure 4
(a) Vertical force (% body weight [BW]) vs time (sec) in each of the four quadrants of the front paws. (b) Vertical force (% BW) vs time (sec) in each of the four quadrants of the hind paws. Dotted lines indicate SD. CrLat = craniolateral (magenta); CrMed = craniomedial (green); CdLat = caudolateral (cyan); CdMed = caudomedial (blue)
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