Study maps normal standing pelvic and lumbar alignment in dogs

A new American Journal of Veterinary Research study suggests that in healthy dogs standing in a standardized position, the pelvic floor stays remarkably close to horizontal across individuals, while lumbar spine orientation varies much more from dog to dog. The work, by Ming Lu, Pierre Picavet, and Po-Yen Chou, evaluated full-length lateral radiographs from 17 healthy, client-owned dogs collected between April 12, 2024, and November 20, 2025, with the goal of characterizing lumbar, sacral, and pelvic orientation and examining how pelvic geometry relates to acetabular orientation. The paper was published May 26, 2026, in AJVR. (vetlit.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the finding points to a potentially useful reference point when interpreting standing radiographs, planning orthopedic assessments, or thinking about spinopelvic alignment in dogs. Prior veterinary imaging guidance has emphasized how positioning and pelvic tilt can alter interpretation of pelvic radiographs, and earlier work has shown that lumbosacral and pelvic motion can vary substantially in dogs, especially when posture or movement changes. A more stable pelvic-floor reference in the standing dog could help clinicians separate normal variation from clinically meaningful malalignment, although this was a small study in healthy dogs rather than a diagnostic trial in patients with disease. (avmajournals.avma.org)

What to watch: The next step will be whether these measurements are validated in larger cohorts and then tested in dogs with hip dysplasia, lumbosacral disease, pelvic deformity, or after orthopedic procedures. (vetlit.org)