Computed tomographic pelvimetry in German shepherd dogs

Pelvimetry was performed on a computed tomographic scanner using dorsal and lateral scout-view images of 10 adult German shepherd dogs. The vertical and transverse diameters of the pelvis were measured and the pelvic inlet and pelvic outlet areas were also calculated. No significant correlations between the pelvic measurements and body weight, age and sex were found. Although the conjugata vera, diameter verticalis, diameter sacralis, sagittal diameter and the distance between the two medial tubera ischiadica were longer in females, no significant statistical difference was found between male and female animals for all measurements. It is proposed that the computed tomographic pelvimetry should be preferred for the sensitive measurements when the normal standards are determined for different animal species and the cost is reduced to an acceptable level.