Background: This study investigated the inter-reader reliability of a digital goniometer when
measuring joint angles of a canine skeleton and cadaver. The study also investigated
differences in measurements obtained when taken from a verbal description of landmarks
and identified landmarks.
Materials and Methods: Part 1: A canine skeleton mounted on a wooden board was used. Anatomical landmarks
were identified and 26 readers took three measurements of each joint. Part 2: A medium-sized
canine cadaver thoracic limb was fixed to a wooden board. Twenty-five readers took
three measurements of each joint, once after receiving a verbal description of anatomical
landmarks and then after anatomical landmarks were identified. Radiographs were taken
of each joint of the cadaver before and after thumbtack placement. Radiographic measurements
were used as the gold standard.
Results: Part 1: Inter-reader reliability was excellent (0.998). Part 2: Results showed excellent
inter-reader reliability for verbal (0.998), fixed landmark (1.000) and combined measurements
(0.999). A significant difference was found between the verbal and fixed landmark
measurements of the shoulder and elbow (p = 0.000). There was no significant difference between the verbal and fixed landmark
measurements of the carpus (p = 0.236).
Conclusion: The digital goniometer used had excellent inter-reader reliability when measuring
the joint angles of a canine skeleton and the thoracic limb joint angles of a canine
cadaver limb. There was a significant difference between the verbal and indicated
measurements of the shoulder and elbow, possibly indicating more accuracy when measuring
distal joints. The fixed measurements were closer to the radiographic measurements,
indicating more accuracy when readers did not have to identify landmarks.
