Old age, or osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis (OA) affects around 80% of dogs over eight, but early indicators of this condition, including joint stiffness, are often undetected and even misinterpreted as old age, leaving many cases undiagnosed until routine vet appointments.

While the gait abnormalities associated with early stages of OA can be subtle, human medicine highlights the diagnostic potential of gait analysis, using technology such as accelerometers and motion capture, which could be transferrable to use in canine studies.

The use of accelerometers can enable the analysis of gait parameters in real world scenarios outside the lab, while motion capture is often considered the gold standard for validating such methods.

Motion capture technology comprises of a camera network and wearable reflective markers, which are used to track limb position and movement by the generation of 3D biomechanical models.

By combining the use of accelerometers and motion capture, it may be possible to validate a method for identifying subtle changes in gait associated with the early stages of OA, perhaps allowing for the earlier detection of this disease.