1. Introduction
Process of scanning the stifle does not differ much from WimbaSCAN for tarsal or carpal orthosis. The main difference is the need to scan a large part of the dog's body (the entire pelvic limb), which requires a different approach to placing the camera lens. That's why we've added the option to scan with the phone held in hand to the classic WIMBA Scan, which is traditionally done using a dolly.
Wrapping a dog's limb can be challenging, which is why we encourage you to take your time and review our suggestions on how to do it properly.
Regarding pre-orders, we allow you to submit multiple scans (2 dog poses, each taken with both the dolly and hand-held phone methods). The idea behind this is to give you the opportunity to practice and receive feedback from us on the quality of the scans. Another factor is time – we believe that allowing you the freedom to try different scanning approaches will result in high-quality scans that are ready for post-production. While this may increase the turnaround time, it will ultimately allow you to start using the WIMBA Stifle orthosis sooner.
Please note that the quality of the input determines the quality of the output. If the scan is of high quality, we can smoothly proceed to the design phase without requiring additional scans from you. This makes the process faster and much more comfortable for you, your client, and their pet.
To conduct the scanning you will need:
- The mat
- AutoDolly
- WIMBA cohesive bandage or any other patterned vet wrap (vivid color, different from the background)
- Patella marker
- Goniometer
- Phone with camera
2. Wrapping the Dog
You will need:
- WIMBA cohesive bandage or any other patterned vet wrap
- patella marker
Which leg to wrap?
The affected limb.
Process:
- wrap all dog’s pelvic limb from toes to the line of his back
- tie under the abdomen and around dog’s back, to decrease the risk of bandage sliding down
- stick marker on patella in its most cranially located area
Make sure that the whole limb is in a cohesive bandage. Use as much wrap as you need, but avoid applying too many layers on top of each other, as to not to distort the limb.
When sticking the marker, make sure that it is placed on the patella: this is a very important anatomical point for us, so take time to find it and place the marker on correctly.
Incorrectly placed marker might cause the hinge to be placed incorrectly and in turn the whole orthosis proving useless.
Be careful with dogs with long hair. Loose hair in the picture can cover the scanned leg. Use a hairpin or another piece of bandage to secure the hair in place.
We suggest using two segments of bandage: the first one - from the toes to below the knee/around the knee and tie it around the abdomen, the second one - from the knee to the groin and, likewise, tie it around the abdomen.
3. Scanning
Go to article: WimbaSCAN for WIMBA Stifle Orthosis Pro
Do you need to recreate the dolly's path and make one full circumference?
No. You don’t need to do a full 360° circumference at once and move the phone from hand to hand under the dog's belly: just try to make it as close to full circle as possible.
Imagine drawing a circle around a dog's limb: begin the scanning from the cranial side, through the lateral, caudal, medial to cranial again. If you are not sure that you covered all of the limb (with visible mat) go backwards again: cranial, medial, caudal, lateral and cranial.
The most important thing is to capture a motionless limb from all sides with a colored areas of the mat visible all the time in the video.
Do you need to be on this same level while recording to avoid changing your perspective?
No. Focus on keeping the dog motionless, capturing the whole limb (including back) from all perspectives (cranial, lateral, caudal, medial) and all the time have visible colored areas of the mat.
4. Goniometry
You will need:
- Goniometer
To carry out the measurement, it is best to lay the animal on the contralateral side so that the limb being measured is fully accessible for examination. In nervous animals, measurements should be taken in a position that is comfortable for them, in a way tha ensures reliable results. Do not attempt to take measurements using force on a tense or struggling animal - sedation may be considered if necessary.
The point of rotation of the device should match the axis of rotation of the joint being measured, and the arms should match the axes of the long bones existing proximally and distally from the joint.
In practice, the landmarks points on the body that are needed for measurement are usually certain bony prominences, easily located through palpation.
To measure angles of the stifle joint, locate the greater trochanter of the femur (1), the lateral epicondyle of the femur (2) and the lateral malleolus, i.e. the distal end of the fibula (3). The line connecting points 1 and 2 and the line connecting points 2 and 3 are the lines on which the arms of the goniometer should be placed, and the point of intersection of these two lines determines the axis of rotation of the joint on which the point of rotation of the goniometer should be placed. To make determining this axis easier, the limb can be flexed and extended several times.
The arms of the goniometer should be held with one hand on the proximal part of the limb, and, with the other hand on the distal part of the limb, so that the movement of the joint is closely synchronized with the movement of the arms of the device. To measure the angle of maximum flexion, flex the joint up to a distinct resistance and note the measured value. Similarly, to measure the angle of maximum extension, extend the joint up to a distinct resistance and note the measured value. It is advisable to practice taking measurements several times before taking and recording the final measurements.
To measure angles at the ankle joint, locate the lateral epicondyle of the femur (4), the lateral malleolus, i.e. the distal end of the fibula (5), and determine the long axis of metatarsal bones 3 and 4 (6). The line connecting points 4 and 5 and the line that is passing through point 5 and running along the 6 axis are the lines on which the arms of the goniometer should be placed, and the point of intersection of these two lines determines the axis of rotation of the joint, on which the point of rotation of the goniometer should be placed.
Measure the angles of maximum extension and flexion in the same way as before.
