Research Article: Repeatability and reliability of kinetic and temporospatial gait parameters measured with a pressure-sensitive treadmill in healthy cats
Abstract:
Interest in feline kinetic gait variables has increased substantially. This study aimed to assess repeatability and intersession reliability of kinetic gait analysis in healthy cats using a pressure-sensitive treadmill.
Healthy client-owned cats ( n =?9) and cats housed at the cattery of the Chair of Animal Nutrition and Dietetics ( n =?5), without orthopedic abnormalities based on history, examination, and subjective gait analysis, were enrolled. Cats (mean body weight: 5.2?±?0.9?kg, age: 4.1?±?1.7?years) were acclimated to a pressure-sensitive treadmill system (FDM-T-CanidGait®, zebris Medical GmbH, Isny, Germany). Treadmill velocity was adjusted individually for comfortable walking. For data acquisition, cats were placed on the treadmill and repositioned if they jumped off (total duration: 10?min, 5 × 2?min). The first five sequences with six valid gait cycles were selected. Data acquisition was repeated after 2?weeks at the same speed. Average maximal pressure, loaded paw surface, step and stride length, step width, stance and swing phase percentages, hind reach, step-stride ratio, and symmetry indices were calculated. Repeatability was assessed with linear mixed-effects models and intersession reliability with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Reliability was categorized as excellent, good, moderate, or poor, with statistical significance set at a p -value of < 0.05.
Most parameters did not differ significantly between time points, except for the average maximal pressure of the left hindlimb ( p =?0.037) and hind reach of both hindlimbs ( p ??0.001). ICCs demonstrated good to excellent reliability (0.885–0.988) for all variables, except for symmetry indices (moderate reliability; forelimbs: 0.547, hindlimbs: 0.676).
A pressure-sensitive treadmill provides repeatable feline gait measurements with good to excellent intersession reliability for most variables and moderate reliability for symmetry indices, offering a reference for future studies. Further studies involving larger cohorts are needed to confirm these results and support broader clinical application.
Introduction:
During the past two decades, the number of domestic cats in Germany has increased significantly from 6.8 to 15.7 million (2000–2023) ( 1 ). In parallel, interest in feline gait and its analysis has also grown. The number of publications on feline gait analysis has more than doubled when comparing the periods 2000–2002 and 2022–2024 (online database searches: PubMed and Google Scholar, search terms: “cat” OR “feline” AND “gait” OR “locomotion” AND “analysis”). Subjective visual lameness evaluation is known to have…
Read more