Staff Veterinarian The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center Columbus, Ohio
Risk Factors Associated with Iliopsoas Injury in Dogs Competing in Agility Competitions. Pechette Markley A1, Shoben A2, Kieves N3. 1The Ohio State University, Veterinary Medical Center, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Columbus, OH; 2The Ohio State University, College of Public Health, Division of Biostatistics, Columbus, OH; 3The Ohio State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Columbus, OH.
In a recent survey of injuries in agility dogs, iliopsoas injuries were the second most commonly reported injury. No studies have evaluated iliopsoas injuries specifically in agility athletes. We aimed to determine potential risk factors for developing iliopsoas injury in this population. We hypothesized competing more frequently and doing more runs per day would increase risk of injury. We also hypothesized that earlier full height jump training and full height obstacle training would increase risk of injury. An internet-based survey was utilized. Dogs that had ever had an iliopsoas injury that kept them from participating in agility for over a week were classified as having a history of iliopsoas injury. Associations between variables of interest and iliopsoas injury were estimated with logistic regression. Of the 4,197 dogs in the sample, 327 (7.8%) reported an iliopsoas injury. The following variables were associated with increased risk of injury: Border Collie and Australian Shepherd breed, dogs that had radiographs made to assess growth plate closure, dogs with veterinary assistants as handlers, dogs competing on turf 6+ times/year, and learning weaves by the 2x2 method. The following variables were associated with a decrease in risk of injury: being from Continental Europe and UK/Ireland, and dogs that were not acquired with agility in mind. Limitations include potential inaccuracies due to participant recall and handler-reported data. This survey provides insight into possible risk factors associated with iliopsoas injuries, but also indicates a need for studies on pathophysiology of iliopsoas injuries in sporting dogs.