130 Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
barrier (or restriction) is appreciated and no
further translation is possible. The quantity of
motion is graded on a scale of 0–6 (see below).
Assessment glides can be performed in multi
ple directions (caudal, cranial, dorsal, ventral,
medial, and lateral). The glide must be pain free
as splinting in reaction to pain will skew the
results. The quantity of motion is compared
with the contralateral side.
Assessment glides are graded on a 0–6 scale
(Kaltenborn et al., 1999):
0 No movement (ankylosis)
1 Severely restricted
2 Moderately restricted
3 Normal
4 Moderately hypermobile
5 Severely hypermobile
6 Complete instability.
Joint mobilization (treatment)
Joint mobilization is a passive therapeutic
technique intended to increase arthrokinematic
motion and to relieve pain. When ROM is limited
by capsular tightening, joint mobilization is the
treatment of choice.
Because joint surfaces are rounded, physiolog
ical movement occurs around several axes simul
taneously. Although a predominant movement
plane is noted (sagittal, frontal, or transverse),
osteokinematic motion is not pure and occurs in
more than one movement plane. The mechanics
of the convex and concave joint surfaces moving
on one another involves rotational and transla
tory movements that coincide with rolling and
gliding of the bony segments. The more congru
ent the surfaces are, the greater the amount of
glide. Conversely, the more incongruent they are,
the more rolling is required in order to avoid joint
compression or subluxation. The direction of
rolling and gliding depends on which surface is
moving, the convex or concave.
Understanding the convex‐concave rule is
important for proper use of joint mobilization
techniques. This rule states that when a concave
surface moves on a stabilized convex surface, the
arthrokinematic glide will occur in the same
direction as the osteokinematic movement of the
bony segment (Figure 6.11). For example, during
osteokinematic stifle extension, the shaft of the
tibia moves cranially. Arthro kinematically the
concave proximal tibia (concave menisci) willFigure 6.10 Assessment glide—caudal glide of the talus
with stabilization of the distal tibia and fibula.
FixedFixedMobileMobileFigure 6.11 The convex‐concave rule states that when
a concave surface moves on a stabilized convex surface,
the arthrokinematic glide will occur in the same direction
as the osteokinematic movement of the bony segment.
Source: Adapted from Kaltenborn et al., 1999.