Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37089406›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in veterinary science2023

Comparison of radiographic scoring systems for assessment of bone healing after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy in dogs.

R A Leal, N E Lambrechts, J D Crowley, J F Griffin, J J Karnia, B T Torres, K C Maritato, N R Kieves, F M Duerr

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in veterinary science, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 33% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Internal Fixation Using VitconeAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

R A LealCollege of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States.
N E LambrechtsCollege of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States.
J D CrowleySmall Animal Specialist Hospital, North Ryde, NSW, Australia.
J F GriffinDepartment of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States.
J J KarniaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States.
B T TorresCollege of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States.
K C MaritatoMedVet Medical and Cancer Center for Pets, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
N R KievesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.
F M DuerrCollege of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States.
Colorado State University · USMissouri College · USTexas A&M University · USThe Ohio State University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Accurate radiographic assessment of bone healing is vital in determining both clinical treatment and for assessing interventions aimed at the promotion of bone healing. Several scoring systems have been used to evaluate osteotomy changes following tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). The goal of this study was to compare the ability of five radiographic scoring systems to identify changes in bone healing following TPLO over time (Aim I), and to evaluate the influence of limb positioning on TPLO osteotomy scoring (Aim II). Materials and methods: Phase I-A randomized, blinded, prospective study was conducted using similarly positioned postoperative TPLO radiographs from seven dogs taken immediately postoperatively, 6-weeks, and 8-weeks postoperatively. Ten reviewers assessed the radiographs, and five different scoring systems were tested for each set including three previously published ones, a Visual Analog Score (VAS), and a subjective 11-point scale. For each system, responses for 6-week postoperative were compared to 8-week postoperative. Scores were judged as correct (=showing an increase in score), incorrect (=decrease in score), or unchanged (=same score). Phase II-An international group of 39 reviewers was asked to score radiographs from three dogs, taken in different positions, using the VAS grading system. Scores were averaged and comparisons were made for each set. Results: Phase I-The VAS system identified the greatest number of sets correctly (76%), with the least unchanged scores (15%), and 9% incorrect scores. Phase II-All three patients had an increase in the average difference between VAS-scores for differently positioned radiographs compared to similarly positioned radiographs. The magnitude of change between different positions far exceeded the magnitude of comparison of the similarly positioned radiographs from the 6- and 8-week time point. Discussion/Conclusion: The VAS system appears to be the most appropriate of the tested systems to identify small changes in bone healing. In addition, the positioning of postoperative TPLO radiographs makes a substantial difference in the healing score that is assigned. Care must be undertaken when performing postoperative radiographs in both the clinical and research setting to ensure accurate assessment of bone healing.

Indexed as

bone healingosteotomyosteotomy healingradiograph (x-ray)tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO)

Identifiers

PMID37089406
PMCPMC10117835
OpenAlexW4362671920

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.