Study explores tendotonometry for canine patellar tendon assessment
Bottom line
A new study in the American Journal of Veterinary Research reports that tendotonometry, using a handheld myotonometer, can be used to noninvasively assess the biomechanical properties of the patellar tendon in sedated dogs, with acceptable intrauser reliability in clinically normal stifles. The prospective feasibility study enrolled client-owned dogs from September through December 2025 and focused on dogs without a history of pelvic limb lameness and with normal orthopedic exam and radiographic findings, according to the journal abstract provided. The work adds an in vivo canine application for a tool that has been studied more extensively in human tendon research, where systematic review data suggest tendotonometry shows potential but still needs stronger validation, especially for patellar tendon interpretation. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the significance is less about immediate practice change and more about measurement. Patellar tendon problems in dogs can be difficult to quantify objectively, and current assessment often relies on physical exam, imaging, and functional interpretation. A handheld device that can generate repeatable biomechanical data at the bedside could eventually support orthopedic workups, longitudinal monitoring, rehab decision-making, or research endpoints, particularly if future studies show it can distinguish normal from injured tendons. Related canine work has already explored patellar tendon stiffness with shear-wave elastography in sedated healthy dogs, underscoring growing interest in objective tendon mechanics in veterinary orthopedics. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
What to watch: The next step is validation in lame dogs and postoperative patients, plus head-to-head comparison with imaging tools such as ultrasound elastography to determine where tendotonometry fits clinically. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Key facts
- Study type
- Prospective feasibility study
- Journal
- American Journal of Veterinary Research
- Method
- Tendotonometry with a handheld myotonometer
- Population
- Client-owned dogs with clinically normal stifles
- Setting
- Sedated dogs
- Enrollment period
- September through December 2025
- Main finding
- Noninvasive patellar tendon biomechanics assessment was feasible
- Reliability
- Acceptable intrauser reliability
A study in the American Journal of Veterinary Research suggests that tendotonometry may offer veterinarians a new, noninvasive way to measure patellar tendon biomechanics in sedated dogs. Using a commercially available digital palpation device, or myotonometer, the investigators evaluated whether the technique was feasible in client-owned dogs with clinically normal stifles and whether one user could obtain reliable repeated measurements. Based on the source abstract, the answer appears to be yes, at least for this early feasibility setting.
That matters because canine tendon assessment is still largely built around clinical examination and imaging, rather than quick quantitative biomechanical testing. In dogs, patellar tendon pathology is relatively uncommon as a primary diagnosis, but the tendon is clinically relevant in stifle disease, surgery, postoperative change, and lameness evaluation. The idea behind tendotonometry is straightforward: if tendon stiffness and related mechanical properties can be measured consistently without invasive testing, clinicians may gain another objective data point for orthopedic assessment. Background work in dogs has already shown interest in this direction. A 2024 study of healthy sedated dogs used shear-wave elastography to quantify patellar tendon stiffness and found that joint angle and tendon region influenced measurements. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
The new AJVR study also fits into a broader evidence base from human sports medicine, where tendotonometry has been explored more extensively than in veterinary patients. A 2024 systematic review found a potential role for tendotonometry in assessing Achilles and patellar tendon stiffness, with generally good inter-rater and intra-rater reliability reported in the literature, but it also concluded that more work is needed on validation and clinical interpretation. In other words, reliability is promising, but the meaning of a given stiffness value in a real patient is still not always clear. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
That caution is important when interpreting this canine study. Feasibility and intrauser repeatability are foundational steps, not proof of diagnostic utility. Human data show the method can be reproducible under controlled conditions, including in patellar tendon studies with high intraclass correlation coefficients at multiple tendon locations, but those findings don't automatically translate into veterinary clinical use. Sedation, positioning, stifle angle, body size, and exact probe placement may all influence measurements in dogs, just as tendon region and testing conditions matter in human studies. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Still, the veterinary signal here is meaningful. Objective tendon mechanics are hard to capture in practice, and existing options can be resource-intensive or operator-dependent. Ultrasound elastography, for example, is promising, but it requires imaging equipment, technical expertise, and careful control of acquisition variables. A handheld myotonometer could be easier to standardize in referral orthopedics, sports medicine, or rehabilitation settings if later studies confirm that the readings correlate with injury, recovery, pain, or function. Prior canine biomechanical work has also suggested that the patellar tendon's properties can shift with stifle angle and neuromuscular conditions, reinforcing the need for standardized protocols before any wider clinical rollout. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Expert reaction specific to this AJVR paper was limited in publicly available sources at the time of reporting, but the surrounding literature points to a measured, not breathless, reception. The human systematic review described tendotonometry as having potential while emphasizing that validation remains incomplete, particularly for patellar tendon use. That's likely the right frame for veterinary readers too: this is an enabling methods paper, not a practice-changing diagnostic breakthrough. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this study is best viewed as an early infrastructure advance for musculoskeletal measurement. If tendotonometry proves valid in diseased tendons, it could help create more objective baselines before surgery, support rehab tracking after stifle procedures, or strengthen clinical research by adding repeatable tendon-specific endpoints. It may be especially useful in settings trying to move beyond subjective palpation and gait impressions alone. But until diseased, postoperative, and longitudinal canine populations are studied, the tool remains more promising than proven. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
What to watch: Watch for follow-up studies in dogs with stifle pathology, cranial cruciate disease, patellar tendon thickening, or postoperative change, as well as studies comparing myotonometer readings with ultrasound elastography, lameness outcomes, and rehab response over time. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)