Modification of the contact area of a standard force platform and runway for small breed dogs

Abstract

Objectives: To develop a platform that used standard size force plates for large breed dogs to capture ground reaction force data from any size dog. Methods: A walkway platform was constructed to accommodate two force plates (60 cm × 40 cm) positioned in series to a variety of smaller sizes. It was constructed from a custom wood frame with thick aluminium sheet force plate covers that prevented transfer of load to the force plate, except for rectangular windows of three different dimensions. A friction study was performed to ensure plates did not translate relative to one another during gait trials. A prospective, observational, single crossover study design was used to compare the effect of..