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Topic:Biomechanics
Biomechanics in horses refers to the study of the mechanical principles that govern movement and physical function in equine species. This field encompasses the analysis of gait, locomotion, and the forces exerted by and upon the horse's musculoskeletal system. Biomechanical studies often involve the use of motion capture technology, force plates, and computer modeling to assess how horses move and how various factors, such as conformation, training, and health status, influence their performance and soundness. Research in equine biomechanics contributes to understanding injury prevention, rehabilitation, and performance optimization. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the mechanics of movement, the impact of external and internal forces, and the applications of biomechanical analysis in equine care and management.
Electrogoniometric analysis of equine metacarpophalangeal joint lameness. Electrogoniometry was used qualitively and quantitatively to assess the movements of the normal and pathologic metacarpophalangeal joints of selected horses. A total of 4 Thoroughbreds, 1 normal and 3 with clinical and radiographic changes in the metacarpophalangeal joints of 1 limb, were evaluated at the walk and trot. Goniograms of the affected joints were compared with those of the normal horse and the normal contralateral metacarpophangeal joint. Qualitative asymmetry was recognized on the goniograms, and the ranges of motion were quantified and related to the clinical and radiologic obser...
Effects of training on resting and postexercise ECG in standardbred horses, using a standardized exercise test. Five healthy, mature, previously trained Standardbred horses were given no exercise (left in a stall) for 4 months, then jogged (slow exercise) for 3 weeks, and placed in a 6-week training period. Cardiac variables were measured at the beginning of training and after 14, 20, 35, and 42 days of training before and at 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 minutes after a 1.8-km (in 3:12 +/- 2 seconds) standard, submaximal exercise test on a deep 0.53-km track. There was no significant change during the 6-week conditioning period in the following variables at rest or at any of the times observed during recovery...
Force plate studies of equine biomechanics. The force plate can measure a wide range of effects in the horse. The same instrument can record forces from more than a ton in the galloping animal to 25 g associated with the action of the heart. In all probability, the force plate will develop into a valuable clinical instrument.
A comparison of techniques for the quantitative analysis of hyaluronic acid in equine synovial fluid. A comparison of methods of preparing the hyaluronic acid of equine synovial fluid for quantitative spectrophotographic analysis is presented. A new method is proposed which appears superior to the previous methods.
In vivo measurement of bone strain in the horse. Strain gauges were successfully bonded in vivo to the cranial, caudal, medial, and lateral aspects of the equine radium and tibia and to the dorsal, palmar, or plantar, medial, the lateral aspects of the metacarpus and metatarsus--all in the mid-diaphyseal region. Various activities were investigated, including walking, trotting or pacing, and standing up from anesthesia. The strain patterns showed that each stride produced a characteristic deformation cycle. The strains were measured and the axial loads were calculated as the horse performed certain activities. The tension band side of each b...
Using body size to understand the structural design of animals: quadrupedal locomotion. Many parameters of gait and performance, including stride frequency, stride length, maximum speed, and rate of O2 uptake are experimentally found to be power-law functions of body weight in running quadrupeds. All of these parameters are reasonably easy to measure except maximum speed, where the question arises whether one means top sprinting speed or top speed for sustained running. Moreover, differences in training and motivation make comparisons of top speed difficult. The problem is circumvented by comparing animals running at the transition between trotting and galloping, a physiologicall...
[Mechanics of the knee joint, part II, the final rotation (author’s transl)]. Mobility of the knee of the horse. The modification of medial and lateral femoral condyles by additional movement of the cruciate ligaments shown on the animal joint. Final rotation in the human knee-joint shapes the femoral condyles by additional movement of the cruciate ligaments. The roll-slide movement and final rotation lead to curving of the medial condyle of the femur in the transverse plane. The transition from the roll-slide into a tilting movement in the final phase of ultimate rotation reduces the power of the posterior ligamentous system of the knee-joint when there is a force tend...
Structural and mechanical properties of tendon related to function. Tendon normally fulfills its primary role as a flexible force transmitting element very effectively and yet failure of this passive tissue leads to great disability. As a connective tissue its structure is relatively simple and the peculiar helical arrangement of collagen fibres confers highly non-linear as well as time-dependent mechanical properties. Functional significance cannot be attributed to any facet of mechanical response until the physiological pattern of loading is established. In particular the rate of deformation and the minimum force experienced by tendon in normal locomotion ha...
Scaling stride frequency and gait to animal size: mice to horses. The stride frequency at which animals of different size change from one gait to another (walk, trot, gallop) changes in a regular manner with body mass. The speed at the transition from trot to gallop can be used as an equivalent speed for comparing animals of different size. This transition point occurs at lower speeds and higher stride frequencies in smaller animals. Plotting stride frequency at the trot-gallop transition point as a function of body mass in logarithmic coordinates yields a straight line.
