CT and gross pathology are comparable methods for detecting some degenerative sacroiliac joint lesions in dogs

Degenerative sacroiliac joint disease is a cause of lumbosacral pain in dogs; however, published information on cross-sectional imaging characteristics is limited. Objectives of this retrospective, secondary analysis, methods-comparison study were to test hypotheses that CT lesions reported in humans with degenerative sacroiliac joint disease are also present in dogs, and that CT is comparable to gross pathology for detecting these lesions. Matched CT and gross pathology slice images of 30 sacroiliac joints were retrieved from a previous prospective, canine cadaver study. A veterinary radiologist interpreted randomized CT images for each joint based on previously published CT characteristics of lesions in humans with degenerative sacroiliac joint disease. A veterinary pathologist independently interpreted randomized gross pathology images using the same criteria. All joints had at least one CT lesion consistent with degenerative sacroiliac joint disease. A new CT lesion was also identified and termed "subarticular cleft." The CT and gross pathology methods agreed for detecting joints with subchondral sclerosis, subchondral erosion, and intra-articular ankylosis lesions (P > .05, McNemar's test), but disagreed for detection of joints with subchondral cyst, para-articular ankylosis, and subarticular cleft lesions (P ≤ .05). Using gross pathology as the reference standard, CT had 100% sensitivity for detection of subarticular cleft and subchondral cyst lesions, with 56% and 22% specificity, respectively. Para-articular ankylosis lesions were detected by CT but not by gross pathology. Findings supported the hypothesis that CT lesions reported in humans with degenerative sacroiliac joint disease are also present in dogs, and partially supported the hypothesis that CT is comparable to gross pathology for detecting joints with these lesions.