Meeting with Dr. Nina Lucas, director of the Kinévet’eau veterinary center.
Specializing in physiotherapy and functional rehabilitation, Dr. Lucas shares her feedback on the usefulness of locomotion data in her canine practice.
Head to Canéjan (33) to learn more about the Tendiboots™ Canine locomotion analysis tool!
Focus on rehabilitation
Exclusively dedicated to physiotherapy, the Kinévet’eau center’s mission is to support animals in recovering their physical abilities after surgery, injury or during illness.
Complementary to the treating veterinarian, the dogs cared for within the clinic are mostly referred. Dr. Lucas does not perform any other medical or surgical procedures apart from physiotherapy.
The equipment and services offered by the practice include hydrotherapy, massage therapy, cryotherapy and thermotherapy, electrostimulation and therapeutic laser. To monitor the evolution of locomotion over time, the clinic is also equipped with Tendiboots™ Canine technology.
The usefulness of locomotion data in physiotherapy
- Helping to detect insidious lameness
- Ensuring that the animal recovers strength in cases of osteoarthritis
- Confirming clinical examinations and suspicions
- Enabling an objective assessment of the locomotor disorder and its evolution during rehabilitation
Within the clinic, dogs suffering from osteoarthritis, cranial cruciate ligaments rupture (TPLO), neurological conditions and back pain are common.
The majority of patients are referred with a known diagnosis. However, in some cases, Dr. Lucas receives dogs whose diagnosis has not yet been clearly established.
This is particularly true when the animal has an ill-defined lameness.
In this type of situation, the animal may be referred to an orthopedist for additional examinations, such as x-rays. If surgery is necessary, the dog returns to the Kinévet’eau clinic after the operation to begin its rehabilitation.
On the other hand, if conservative treatment is recommended, the animal is not operated on and begins rehabilitation directly.
Common use case: Medial shoulder instability
Medial shoulder instability is a common reason for consultation in the clinic. This disorder is often related to trauma, such as a separation or poor landing, leading to ligament injuries at the shoulder level. The joint then loses its stability, which can cause hypermobility or abnormal displacement of the bony structures (for example, abnormal displacements of the humerus in relation to the scapula).
The shoulder joint is a complex area and, in cases of severe injuries (such as a complete tear of the ligaments or very significant instability), surgery may be necessary. Depending on the case, an orthosis can be applied to stabilize the structure and facilitate physiotherapy work.
This type of disorder generally responds very well to physiotherapy, and relapses are rare.
Clinical signs include intermittent lameness of the affected limb, pain on manipulation of the joint, difficulty moving, and stiffness and tenderness in the shoulder.
To help detect subtle lameness and monitor the progression of these musculoskeletal disorders, some data provided by the Tendiboots™ Canine system are particularly useful, as Dr. Lucas explains:
“For me, Tendiboots are a definite advantage when I have doubts about a limp.”
The tool also helps to define which limb is suffering the most and to prioritize the care. The parameters I use in particular are those related to impact forces, as well as stride lengths and heights.
This information allows us to objectively identify whether the dog is regaining strength in its supports when it moves and whether it has any engagement defects. » — Dr Nina Lucas
These dynamic parameters complement static data, as detailed in our article on dog gait analysis: static and dynamic data.
Objective data as a support for customer illustration
Pet owners are looking to understand their pet’s health status and the decisions made by their veterinarian. Often unfamiliar with technical jargon, they greatly appreciate new tools that help with understanding. In this context, Tendiboots™ Canine is proving to be an asset for veterinary professionals, as Dr. Lucas explains:
“My clients especially like the Tendiboots. It has a fun side: they put the little bracelets on their dog while I check the recordings of the previous session for example.
After the fun side, they understand my explanations and the decisions I make more easily. I can show them objectively the benefits of the work done.
For example, by clearly showing them that their animal is better. Not because I say so, but also because they can see from the data that their dog has regained amplitude or strength in the leg we are treating. Sometimes the data confirms what they themselves had observed in their animal, and this reassures them a lot.
This better understanding enhances the assessments and care provided. » — Dr Nina Lucas
Want to know more about Tendiboots™ Canine?
Find all the information about Dr Nina Lucas from Kinevet'eau on:
💻 Her website: https ://kineveteau.fr
🖥️Her Facebook page: https:// www.facebook.com/kineveteau
📸 Her Instagram: https:/ /www.instagram.com/kineveteau/
FAQ
Subjective gait assessment shows substantial interobserver variation and poor agreement with objective measures, especially for low-grade lameness. The Tendiboots™ Canine wearable system quantifies parameters such as impact forces, stride length and height, and a symmetry index, revealing load asymmetries that escape the naked eye. During orthopedic consultations these data help confirm a clinical suspicion and identify which limb is most affected, so care can be prioritized.
Impact forces and weight distribution between limbs are the most informative indicators of returning weight-bearing. After a procedure such as cruciate ligament repair (TPLO), a follow-up over several weeks lets you compare load distribution before and after and clearly show the gain in range or strength on the treated limb. Objective dynamic analysis documents this progression over time, where clinical examination alone stays qualitative.
Static imaging (radiography, CT) describes structure but says nothing about how the animal actually moves. Dynamic gait analysis captures movement in natural conditions and objectifies locomotor function: limb engagement, propulsion deficits, load asymmetries. In rehabilitation the two are complementary — imaging establishes the structural diagnosis, while locomotion data track functional progress session after session.
The tool is particularly suited to monitoring orthopedic disorders: osteoarthritis, medial shoulder instability, and post-surgical follow-up. It is far less useful for dogs with significant neurological conditions, such as paralysis from a herniated disc, where the issue is not a measurable load asymmetry. Fitting the bracelets also requires a dog that walks calmly and tolerates handling.
Medial shoulder instability often presents as intermittent lameness with asymmetric load distribution on the affected limb. The peak force parameter highlights this loading asymmetry objectively. A six-week recheck can confirm improvement both in the locomotion data and on clinical examination — this disorder generally responds very well to physiotherapy, and relapses are rare.
Owners struggle with technical jargon but respond well to a measurable demonstration. Showing that an animal has regained range or strength on the treated limb — not because the clinician says so, but because the data show it — improves understanding of treatment decisions and compliance. Often the data confirm what the owner had already observed, which reassures them and reinforces the value of the rehabilitation work.
No. Subjective gait analysis suffers from high interobserver variability and poorly detects subtle lameness or compensations. To objectively compare rehabilitation stages and document the clinical record, reproducible quantitative measures are needed. They also support clear reporting to the referring veterinarian, since in physiotherapy most dogs are referred cases.
