Topic:Clinical Study
Clinical studies in equine research involve the systematic investigation of health and disease in horses through structured scientific methods. These studies aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of treatments, understand disease mechanisms, and improve veterinary care practices. Clinical studies can include randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and case-control studies. They may focus on various aspects such as pharmacokinetics, therapeutic interventions, and diagnostic techniques. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the design, implementation, and findings of clinical studies in equine medicine, providing insights into their impact on horse health and veterinary practices.
Equestrian-related maxillofacial injuries-a five-year retrospective review. Equestrian-related activities inherently involve the risk of serious injury. There are few reports of maxillofacial injury patterns and management arising from equestrian activities in the literature. Objective: To investigate maxillofacial fracture presentations at a tertiary trauma centre to identify injury profiles of patients who have sustained equine-based injuries over 5 years. Methods: This work involved a retrospective review of all trauma presentations to our unit over 5 years. The data collected included patient demographics, injury mechanisms and patterns, and management of fractu...
The Level of Thiol-Oxidised Plasma Albumin Is Elevated Following a Race in Australian Thoroughbred Horses. The extent to which muscle strain or tears are affecting race performance in horses is unknown because it is difficult to objectively identify muscle damage. One approach includes the use of physiological markers in blood. Recently, we linked the level of plasma thiol-oxidised albumin, an oxidative stress biomarker, to muscle damage in humans. Objective: This aim of this work was to investigate whether the level of plasma thiol-oxidised albumin was elevated in the days following a thoroughbred horse race. Methods: 'In vivo' experiments. Methods: Blood collection was performed by each trainer a...
An iterative approach to identify key predictive features of fear reactivity and fearfulness in horses (Equus caballus). This study extends previous findings by applying artificial intelligence (AI) methods to a larger dataset to identify key features that predict fear reactivity (i.e., immediate reaction to fear inducing stimuli) and fearfulness (i.e., a stable personality trait) in 101 Lipizzan horses. The analysis included 221 morphological, kinematic, behavioral and management measurements per horse. Previous findings were confirmed, as body and head size were identified as promising predictors of aspects of fear-related trait. Using an iterative AI approach, six key features for fear reactivity and nine for...
Outcome of arthroscopic debridement for the treatment of incomplete third carpal bone slab fractures in racehorses. To describe the outcomes of arthroscopic debridement of third carpal bone (C3) incomplete slab fractures (ISF) in racehorses. Methods: Retrospective case study. Methods: Horses undergoing arthroscopic debridement of ISF of C3. Methods: The medical records of horses surgically treated for ISF of C3 were reviewed. Age, sex, breed, limb, fracture configuration, preoperative radiographs, arthroscopic findings, postoperative intraarticular therapies, and exercise recommendations were recorded. Racing performance was obtained from online databases. Univariable analyses were used to determine associa...
Evaluating the extent to which ataxia and responsiveness to stimuli reflect the efficacy of xylazine sedation using pharmacokinetics. Clinical assessments of equine sedation typically rely on subjective observations, the accuracy of which is paramount to the safety of equine veterinary procedures. Methods: To assess the degree in which subjective clinical sedative evaluations reflect pharmacokinetic measurements of equine drug metabolism, xylazine hydrochloride, an alpha-2 adrenoreceptor agonist, was administered to 36 horses of varying breed and age at a dosage of 0.5 mg/kg body weight. Subjective clinical parameters were scored at 5-, 15-, 30-, 45- and 60-minutes post xylazine administration and included responsiveness to ...
Influence of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction on reproductive performance in Thoroughbred mares. Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is an age-related disease considered to have a negative impact on fertility. To understand the true impact of PPID on fertility, the influence of age must be considered. Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of PPID on fertility while accounting for the effect of aging. Methods: A total of 332 Thoroughbred mares aged 10-20 years and managed across 137 private farms in Hidaka, Hokkaido, Japan were classified as PPID, equivocal, or non-PPID based on plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone concentration in 2019 and 2020. The prevalence of PPID an...
Aetiological relevance of haematological, biochemical and endocrine parameters on equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH). The dental syndrome EOTRH is a painful, progressive dental disease with an unknown aetiology. The often painful nature of EOTRH emphasises the need for a better knowledge of the underlying pathogenic mechanism and risk factors. A comparative analysis of haematological, biochemical and endocrine values in EOTRH-affected and non-affected horses has not been described. Objective: To compare haematological, biochemical, and endocrine parameters in EOTRH-affected and non-affected horses to detect risk factors for horses developing EOTRH. Methods: Cross sectional. Methods: Blood samples of 154 Icela...
Objective diagnosis of alar fold collapse in active Standardbred trotting racehorses using nasopharyngeal airway pressure measurements. Clinical evaluation of alar fold (AF) collapse is presently based upon subjective evaluation of improvement in breathing and respiratory noise after suturing the AFs dorsally. Objective: To evaluate use of nasopharyngeal airway pressure (NAP) as an objective method of assessing for the presence of AF collapse during exercise. NAPs should also potentially provide a precise means to grade the degree of airway obstruction present and response to surgical treatment. Methods: Prospective clinical study of actively racing Standardbred horses. Methods: Standardbreds undergoing this test were outfitte...
Comparison of 3.5- and 4.0-mm Cortical Bone Screws for Stabilization of an Equine Navicular Bone Fracture Model. The aim of this study was to compare the strength (load at failure) and the number of cycles to failure of 3.5- and 4.0-mm cortical screw-bone constructs for repair of navicular bone fractures in horses.This was an in vitro biomechanical study that used a four-point bending apparatus to determine the load at failure of 3.5- and 4.0-mm cortical screw-bone constructs subjected to static and cyclic loading.In static testing, pairwise comparison of 4.0-mm cortical screw-bone constructs demonstrated significantly greater strength (mean increase: +16%, = 0.0135) compared with those in the 3.5-m...
Pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics analysis of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection after intravenous and per os administration in Thoroughbred horses. A pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) approach was used to determine the dosage regimens of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections after intravenous (IV) and per os (PO) administration in horses. Methods: Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole plasma concentrations were measured in six horses after a single IV administration of 15 mg/kg (2.5 mg/kg trimethoprim and 12.5 mg/kg sulfamethoxazole) and PO administration of 30 mg/kg (5.0 mg/kg trimethoprim and 25.0 mg/kg sulfamethoxazole). The data were modeled using a nonlinear mixed-effects mode...
Obesity-Associated Metabolomic and Functional Reprogramming in Neutrophils from Horses with Asthma. Equine asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterised by neutrophilic inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness, and impaired pulmonary function. Obesity, increasingly prevalent among domestic horses, has been identified as a potential risk factor for exacerbating inflammatory conditions. This study aimed to explore whether obesity modifies neutrophil metabolism and inflammatory responses in horses affected by asthma. Six asthmatic horses in clinical remission were categorised into two groups: obese and non-obese, based on body condition score. Serum levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) an...
Endocrine profile and OPU-ICSI outcomes in mares: a comparative study. Despite recent improvements in equine ovum pick-up (OPU) combined with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), there is still significant inter-individual variability. In this study, serum concentrations of the oocyte-secreted factors growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15), as well as the GDF9/BMP15 complex, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), progesterone (P4), and free and conjugated estradiol-17β (E2), were determined in 59 mares (3-24 years) at the time of OPU. Mares were classified retrospectively, based on the number of embryos obtained, into low or...
Short- and long-term survival, complications, return to racing, and racing performance of 150 racehorses with medial condylar fractures of the third metacarpal/metatarsal bone treated by internal fixation (2000-2020). To report the rate of survival, rate of return to racing, and quality of racing performance following surgical fixation of medial condylar fractures. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: A total of 150 Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses surgically treated for medial condylar fracture (100 lag screw fixation, 50 plate fixation). Methods: Medical records, radiographs, and racing databases (2000-2020) were reviewed to collect signalment, fracture characteristics, fixation methods, survival rate, and complication rate. Change in racing performance was assessed using Wilcoxon rank sum tests...
Frequent location and severity of sports-related fractures in children in a tertiary care-center. A retrospective observational cohort study. Despite benefits in children, sport practice has been reported with higher risk of fractures. Our objective was to report the characteristics of sport-related fractures in children and to compare them to fractures sustained in a domestic context. Our hypothesis was that sports-related fractures more frequently required surgical treatment, and could therefore be considered more severe METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including patients under 16 years old, diagnosed with a fracture at the emergency department, excluding skull and face fractures. Demographic data, context of inj...
Equine Parvovirus-Hepatitis Population Dynamics in a Single Horse over 16 Years. Many viruses mutate rapidly to adapt to host defenses, and for some of these viruses, the result is long-term infection in individual hosts. The work described here examines the infection and long-term maintenance of a newly identified virus, equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H), in an individual horse. This description is possible because of a hypervariable region in the capsid gene; sequence variants were tracked by high-throughput sequencing of serum samples taken over a 16-year period. The data support the hypothesis that EqPV-H infection resulted in a sequence variant bottleneck. The cont...
Direct Warming of Vitrified In Vivo Equine Embryos. Vitrified in vitro-produced embryos can be successfully warmed in isotonic media at room temperature (RT; 22°C). However, this protocol has not been reported for in vivo embryos, which are more challenging to vitrify and warm. Study objectives were to see if vitrified in vivo embryos warmed in RT isotonic medium gave equivalent pregnancy rates to stepwise serial dilution warming, and if embryo size influenced the results. One hundred and seventeen embryos were divided into groups by size (G1:≤ 300 μm, n = 59; G2:> 300-400 μm, n = 33; G3:> 400-500 μm, n = ...
Quantitative proteomics unveils potential plasma biomarkers and provides insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying equine metabolic syndrome. Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is a multifactorial endocrine disorder characterized by obesity, insulin dysregulation (ID), and an increase in the risk of laminitis, a painful condition that can lead to euthanasia in severe cases. Diagnosing EMS is challenging and often relies on clinical history including obesity, difficulty in losing weight, and recurring episodes of laminitis. The gold standard for laboratory support of an EMS diagnosis is the identification of ID, with basal insulin being the simplest and most accessible method, especially in a field setting. However, various factors such...
The effects of a long-duration intravenous infusion of detomidine, with and without vatinoxan, on equine energy metabolism and urine composition. To assess the effects of a 4 hour detomidine constant rate infusion (CRI) with and without a vatinoxan CRI on energy metabolism and urine composition. Methods: Randomized, blinded, crossover study. Methods: Eight Finnhorses, 587 (550-620) kg [median (range)] and 13 (4-16) years old. Methods: Horses were administered an intravenous (IV) detomidine loading dose (0.01 mg kg) followed by 240 minutes CRI (0.015 mg kg hour) (DET) and the same detomidine protocol combined with an IV vatinoxan loading dose (0.15 mg kg) and CRI (0.05 mg kg hour) (DET+VAT). Blood samples for glucose, insulin, non-esteri...
Evaluation of Subjective Assessment of Right Heart Size and Function Using Standard 2D-Echocardiographic Recordings in Horses With and Without Pulmonary Hypertension. Echocardiographic evaluation of right heart (RH) size and function in horses is challenging and relies on subjective assessment. Objective: Evaluate inter- and intra-rater agreement of subjective assessment of RH size, RH function, and the presence of pulmonary hypertension (PHT) in horses. Assess subjective RH changes with and without PHT and the influence of observer experience. Methods: Healthy horses (n = 30) and horses with Doppler measurements suggesting the presence or absence of PHT (n = 30 each). Methods: Nine standard echocardiographic recordings were analyzed by experienced ...
Metabolic Studies of Nandrolone Decanoate in Castrated Horses After Intramuscular Administration. This paper describes the studies of the in vitro biotransformation of nandrolone decanoate and its metabolic fate in equine plasma and urine after intramuscular administration to castrated thoroughbred horses. The in vitro metabolic study was performed using homogenised horse liver, and the more prominent in vitro biotransformation pathways were found to include hydrolysis, reduction, oxidation and sulfation, mainly resulting in seven Phase I metabolites and one Phase II metabolite. The administration study of nandrolone decanoate was carried out using three retired thoroughbred geldings, e...
Reproductive success in Thoroughbred broodmares post large colon resection or colopexy. To describe reproductive performance in Thoroughbred broodmares post-large colon resection and to compare to performance post-colopexy. Methods: A single-institution retrospective study. Methods: A total of 29 client-owned horses: post-large colon resection (LCR) n = 19, post-colopexy: n = 10. Methods: Thoroughbred broodmares that survived until discharge following LCR (Group R) or colopexy (Group P) between 2006 and 2023 were included. Clinical data were collected from clinical records. Breeding and foaling data were collected from the Australian and New Zealand Studbooks. Statistical...
Usefulness of a Computer-Aided Learning Module for Teaching Radiology of the Equine Foot to Clinical Veterinary Students. Lameness in horses resulting from foot pathology is very common. When investigating the cause of a lameness localised to the foot, the first step is most frequently radiographic imaging. Therefore, being able to identify normal anatomy and recognise pathology on radiographs is important for a veterinary medicine student to learn. Computer-aided learning (CAL) is becoming increasingly utilised in the teaching of students on medicine-related courses, especially post-COVID where online learning has been continued in hybridisation with in-person teaching.In this study, a low-cost CAL module was cr...
What ‘knot’ to do whilst castrating donkeys. A retrospective comparison of ligation method on spermatic cord haemorrhage in 261 donkeys castrated by vet students in rural Malawi using transfixing and modified millers’ ligatures. Special considerations for donkeys undergoing castration compared with horses include the presence of large scrotal vessels, larger testicular artery and vein and the consequential increased risk of post-operative haemorrhage which necessitates spermatic cord ligation. Objective: This retrospective study compares haemorrhagic complication rates between two methods of spermatic cord ligation in donkeys castrated in rural Malawi. Methods: All donkeys presenting to Veterinary Education Malawi / Lilongwe Society for the Protection and Care of Animals rural large animal outreach clinics for castrat...
Identifying insulinemic responses of ID horses offered varying levels of NSC and meal-sizes. Feeding small meals (∼1 g/kg BW DM basis) providing >10% nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC; starch + water soluble carbohydrate; WSC) has resulted in an augmented insulin response (AIR) in insulin dysregulated (ID) horses, but it's unclear if AIR reflects NSC content or the g NSC/kg BW/meal. Objective: The insulinemic responses of ID (n = 7) and non-insulin dysregulated (NID; n = 8) horses fed four feeds (A = 6.8% NSC; B = 14.9% NSC; C = 35.5% NSC; D = 44.6% NSC) at three levels of NSC intake (0.06, 0.11-0.12 and 0.17-0.18 g/kg BW) were evaluated in a randomized Latin square design across two...
Impact of Low-Starch Dietary Modifications on Faecal Microbiota Composition and Gastric Disease Scores in Performance Horses. Equine gastric disease (EGD) is a common condition in performance horses (), potentially compromising behaviour, performance, and welfare. EGD is often attributed to high-starch, high-sugar feeds and limited forage. Evidence for diet-induced changes on digestive microbiota is lacking. Nine elite showjumping horses were housed at the same performance yard with standardised diet and management throughout the study. Horses were transitioned from a high-sugar and -starch (31%) feed to a low-starch and -sugar (16.5%) concentrate feed. Gastroscopies, blood, and faecal samples were taken pre- and 12 ...
Mosaic arthroplasty in equine stifle and fetlock joints: A retrospective study of 31 cases between 1998 and 2023. To evaluate the clinical application of equine mosaic arthroplasty for joint surface repair, including outcomes and complications. Methods: Retrospective clinical study. Methods: A total of 31 horses diagnosed with subchondral bone cysts (SBCs) in the femoral condyle (22/31), distal metacarpus (7/31), or metatarsus (2/31). Methods: Medical records of horses that underwent autologous or allogeneic osteochondral graft transplantation were reviewed. Follow-up lasted at least 12 months. Success was determined in terms of improvements in lameness and post-surgical athletic performance, classified...
Pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol and its two main phase I metabolites in Connemara ponies. Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown potential therapeutic benefits in veterinary medicine, but further investigations are needed to establish its pharmacokinetics and therapeutic dosing in horses and ponies. The present study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetic properties of CBD in Connemara ponies following oral administration of CBD oil. Unassigned: Ten healthy ponies received a single oral dose of CBD oil at 2 mg/kg. Blood samples were collected before dosing and up to 16 days post-administration, with physical examinations conducted at baseline and at 8, 12, and 24 h post-dose. Addition...
Complications associated with subpalpebral lavage systems in upper and lower equine eyelids: A prospective, randomised study in 73 cases (2015-2024). Evidence for optimal location of subpalpebral lavage (SPL) systems is lacking. Objective: To compare the rate and types of complications with SPL systems located in central upper- compared with medial lower-eyelid in hospitalised patients. Methods: Prospective, randomised treatment trial. Methods: Horses admitted for ophthalmic treatment using an SPL system from February 2015 to January 2024 were included if ocular pathology did not necessitate SPL system placement in a specific location. Coin toss was used to determine location. SPL systems were monitored at least daily, and complications wer...
A comparison of the efficacy of three commercial human embryo vitrification kits for cryopreservation of in vivo produced equine embryos. Different cryoprotectants can influence the ability of embryos to successfully survive vitrification and subsequent warming before transfer. Objective: To compare pregnancy rates for embryos ≤500 μm vitrified, without puncture or aspiration of the blastocoele cavity, with one of three commercial human embryo vitrification kits containing the same penetrating cryoprotectants (DMSO and EG) but varying in their non-penetrating cryoprotectants (NPCPAs; sucrose, trehalose, dextran serum supplement [DSS], and hydroxypropyl cellulose [HPC]). Methods: In vivo experiments. Methods: Embryos (n =...