Dowgray Nathalie, Comerford Eithne, German Alexander J, Gardiner James, Pinchbeck Gina, Bates Karl T
Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
International Cat Care, Tisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2024 Dec 18;19(12):e0314629. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0314629. eCollection 2024.
Musculoskeletal disease (MSD) is common in ageing cats, resulting in chronic pain and mobility impairment, but diagnosis can be challenging. We hypothesised that there would be differences between cats with and without MSD in paw pressure and spatiotemporal and kinetic gait metrics. A cohort of 53 cats, aged between 7 and 10 years from the North West of the United Kingdom, underwent an orthopaedic examination and walked on a pressure sensitive walkway. Thirty-one of the cats (58%) were determined to be apparently-healthy, based on a normal orthopaedic examination and having no history of MSD, whilst the remaining 22 cats (42%) had findings consistent with MSD; 13/22 cats (59%) had multiple limb involvement, 7/22 (32%) had forelimb involvement and 2/22 (9%) had hindlimb involvement. Bodyweight (P = 0.048) and body condition score (BCS; P = 0.015) were both greater in cats with MSD (mean bodyweight 5.4 ± 1.35 kg; median BCS 6, IQR 6-7.75) compared with apparently-healthy cats (mean bodyweight 4.7 ± 0.94 kg; median BCS 5, IQR 4.5-6.5). There was a relatively large intra-cat variation in spatiotemporal and kinetic gait variables (coefficient of variation >3.0%), whilst a linear mixed-effects model suggested no significant difference in spatiotemporal or kinetic gait variables between apparently-healthy cats and those with MSD. Palmar and plantar pressure asymmetry was assessed by pedobarographic statistical parametric mapping (pSPM) within each individual cat, with no significant difference (P = 0.353) between the apparently heathy cats and those with MSD as to the presence or absence of asymmetry. Given the marked intra-cat variation and the 'multi-limb' nature of MSD in this cohort, it was not possible to differentiate healthy cats from those with MSD based on spatiotemporal and kinetic gait metrics or paw pressure asymmetry. Future work should examine gait in cats with defined musculoskeletal disorders (e.g. hip dysplasia) and also to track longitudinal changes within individual cats to better establish age-related trends.
肌肉骨骼疾病（MSD）在老龄猫中很常见，会导致慢性疼痛和行动能力受损，但诊断可能具有挑战性。我们假设患有和未患有MSD的猫在爪压力、时空和动力学步态指标方面会存在差异。一组来自英国西北部、年龄在7至10岁之间的53只猫接受了骨科检查，并在压力感应通道上行走。根据正常的骨科检查且无MSD病史，其中31只猫（58%）被判定为明显健康，而其余22只猫（42%）有与MSD相符的检查结果；22只中有13只（59%）有多肢受累，7只（32%）有前肢受累，2只（9%）有后肢受累。与明显健康的猫（平均体重4.7±0.94千克；中位体况评分5，四分位距4.5 - 6.5）相比，患有MSD的猫的体重（P = 0.048）和体况评分（BCS；P = 0.015）更高（平均体重5.4±1.35千克；中位BCS 6，四分位距6 - 7.75）。时空和动力学步态变量在猫个体内存在相对较大的差异（变异系数>3.0%），而线性混合效应模型表明，明显健康的猫与患有MSD的猫在时空或动力学步态变量方面无显著差异。通过每只猫内部的足压统计参数映射（pSPM）评估掌侧和跖侧压力不对称性，明显健康的猫与患有MSD的猫在是否存在不对称性方面无显著差异（P = 0.353）。鉴于该队列中猫个体内差异显著以及MSD的“多肢”性质，无法根据时空和动力学步态指标或爪压力不对称性将健康猫与患有MSD的猫区分开来。未来的研究应检查患有明确肌肉骨骼疾病（如髋关节发育不良）的猫的步态，并跟踪个体猫的纵向变化，以更好地确定与年龄相关的趋势。
