Louis Vandekerckhove graduated as an equine veterinarian from Ghent University in June 2017. Following a one-year rotating internship, he joined the Large Animal Medical Imaging team at Ghent University as an assistant, where he combined clinical responsibilities with teaching and research activities involving both large and small animals. Between 2020 and 2024, he completed the ECVDI residency program in Large Animal Diagnostic Imaging and in January 2024, he passed the board examination to earn the title of European Specialist in Veterinary Radiology® (Diplomate ECVDI). In September 2024 he successfully defended his PhD titled “Canine Hip Dysplasia: a forceful exploration through stress radiography”. Currently he is working as a Post- Doctoral researcher and clinician at the Large Animal Medical Imaging team at Ghent University.
Louis Vandekerckhove
Ghent University, Belgium
DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING FOR HIP LAXITY EVALUATION
Canine hip dysplasia remains a prevalent and challenging orthopaedic condition in veterinary medicine. Despite long-standing breeding programs and screening initiatives based on the standard ventrodorsal radiographic projection with hip extension, the incidence of canine hip dysplasia remains high. This presentation aims to highlight the limitations of the standard ventrodorsal projection to diagnose laxity. Furthermore, di_erent radiographic techniques designed to assess hip joint laxity will be presented, with particular focus on the Vezzoni Modified Badertscher Distension Device (VMBDD). The positioning, image acquisition, and measurement protocols will be explained in depth, based on recent research. Additionally, the interpretation of laxity values derived from stress radiographs will be discussed, providing context for diagnosing canine hip dysplasia and screening against this condition.