A Comparison of Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Techniques for Kinematic Analysis of the Sagittal Motion of Sheep Hindlimbs During Walking on a Treadmill

Abstract

Compared to rodents, sheep offer several attractive features as an experimental model for testing different medical and surgical interventions related to pathological gait caused by neurological diseases and injuries. To use sheep for development of novel treatment strategies in the field of neuroscience, it is key to establish the relevant kinematic features of locomotion in this species. To use sheep for development of novel treatment strategies in the field of neuroscience, it is crucial to understand fundamental baseline characteristics of locomotion in this species. Despite their relevance for medical research, little is known about the locomotion in the ovine model, and next to nothing about the three-dimensional (3D) kinematics of the hindlimb. This study is the first to perform and compare two-dimensional (2D) and 3D hindlimb kinematics of the sagittal motion during treadmill walking in the ovine model. Our results show that the most significant differences took place throughout the swing phase of the gait cycle were for the distal joints, ankle and metatarsophalangeal joint, whereas the hip and knee joints were much less affected. The results provide evidence of the inadequacy of a 2D approach to the computation of joint kinematics in clinically normal sheep during treadmill walking when the interest is centered on the hoof's joints. The findings from the present investigation are likely to be useful for an accurate, quantitative and objective assessment of functionally altered gait and its underlying neuronal mechanisms and biomechanical consequences.

Biomechanical gait analysis in sheep: kinematic parameters

“…The kinematic results presented should provide direction for future gait analysis studies that evaluate the forelimb joint behavior, for a complete description of the sheep animal model. In the future, this experimental model may serve as an effective tool to evaluate and compare pathological gait patterns and improve our knowledge on kinematic features associated with different orthopedic and neurological conditions ( Diogo et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Previous studies have already performed a kinematic analysis of the sheep’s gait, but only considering the sagittal plane ( Safayi et al, 2015 ; Diogo et al, 2021 ). Diogo et al (2021) even compared the results obtained through 2D and 3D analysis. The fact that the amount of movement is greater in the sagittal plane makes this the focus of movement analysis.…”

“…The swing phase begins at the onset of forward movement and terminates as the hoof strikes the floor. The initial hoof floor contact (initial contact, IC) starts the stance phase and immediately when the hoof is lifted from the floor (toe off, TO), the swing phase starts ( Rifkin et al, 2019 ; Diogo et al, 2021 ).…”

“…The step length was considered as the distance between the heel point of one foot to the heel point of contralateral one ( Carr and Dycus, 2016 ). Stride Length is the distance measure parallel to the line of progression between the posterior heel points of two consecutive footfalls of a given extremity ( Carr and Dycus, 2016 ; Rifkin et al, 2019 ; Silva et al, 2019 ; Diogo et al, 2021 ). Stride width is the lateral distance between the point of contact of the two pelvic limbs, perpendicular to the direction of the movement.…”

Cervical subtotal discectomy prosthesis validated in non-human primate model: A novel artificial cervical disc replacement concept?

“…Functional impairment of the cervical spinal cord, a high spinal cord segment, could affect the motion of the limbs, which is reflected in gait. Kinematic analysis, a widely used method for recording joint motions in a variety of neuropathological conditions and which enables multi-planar and multi-dimensional motion assessment, is considered one of the most valuable methods for motor function evaluation in quadruped animal models ( Diogo et al, 2021 ). To better understand the potential effect of CDSP implantation on cervical spine function in cynomolgus monkeys, quadruped locomotion was detected 1 month before and 3, 6, 12, and 18 months after surgery.…”