Injury in horses encompasses a range of physical traumas that can affect various tissues and structures, including bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These injuries can arise from numerous causes, such as accidents, overexertion, or improper handling. Common types of equine injuries include fractures, sprains, strains, and lacerations. The management and treatment of these injuries require an understanding of equine anatomy and biomechanics, as well as appropriate veterinary care. This page collects peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of injuries in horses, providing insights into their impact on equine health and performance.
Denoix JM.Equine diagnostic sonography was initially used for the diagnosis and documentation of tendon injuries. Since 1990, this technique, along with radiography, has become an indispensable imaging procedure for the diagnosis of equine joint injuries. Sonography provides precise diagnostic information on the synovial membrane and fluid, the articular cartilage, subchondral bone and joint margins, the ligaments and menisci, and the anatomical structures involved in periarticular swelling or enlargement. Improvements in ultrasound machines and better superficial and deep image resolution allow us to e...
Trumble TN, Scarbrough AB, Brown MP.To investigate the effects of exercise and osteochondral (OC) injury on type II collagen degradation products (collagenase cleavage neoepitope commercially known as C2C) in synovial fluid (SF) from Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses and to compare these results with radiographic and arthroscopic scores of severity of joint injury. Methods: Metacarpophalangeal/metatarsophalangeal (MCP/MTP) and carpal SF was obtained from (1) 20 normal rested horses, (2) the same horses after 5 to 6 months of race training, and (3) 27 horses with OC injury from racing. For group 3, radiographic and arthroscopic scores...
Craven JA.To identify the frequency, variety and disposition of horse-related injury presentations to the ED and to use this information to evaluate the existing institutional trauma team activation criteria following horse-related injuries. Methods: A retrospective case analysis was performed of all horse-related injury presentations to the ED of Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, Australia, in the 5 year period between January 1999 and December 2003. Results: A total of 186 children presented with horse-related injuries during the 5 year study period. The median age of injury was 9 years (rang...
Knubben JM, Gygax L, Auer J, Fürst A, Staᆲher M.Through a written questionnaire, which was sent to a representatively distributed and randomly selected sample of Swiss horse owners, data of 2912 horses and ponies were acquired to extrapolate prevalence data of health disorders. General questions about the horse and associated factors of housing and use, as well as questions about the current health status and the occurrence of diseases and injuries had been asked. 718 horses (24.7% of the sample) had been examined by a veterinarian within the 12 months prior to the survey. Orthopaedic and traumatic disorders (41.5%) had the largest proporti...
Fox SE, Ridgway EB, Slavin SA, Upton J, Lee BT.Equestrian activities have always been popular in the United States. As safety guidelines have become more stringent, horse-related injuries have diminished by 40 percent over the past 20 years. Although perhaps less critical than in the past, injuries to equestrians most frequently involve the face, upper extremity, and lower extremity and are commonly evaluated by the plastic surgeon. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of these equestrian-related injuries. Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database is a stratified probability sample of ho...
Mespoulhès-Rivière C, Martens A, Bogaert L, Wilderjans H.Distal limb lacerations are common injuries in horses, with a better prognosis reported for extensor tendons lacerations compared to flexor tendons lacerations. The objective of the present study was to determine the influence of type and location of injury, modalities of treatment and post surgical complications on the outcome of extensor tendon lacerations. The medical records of 156 horses surgically treated for extensor tendon lacerations over a 10-year period were analysed retrospectively. Information was obtained for 124 horses with a minimum of 18 months follow-up. Statistical analysis ...
The Journal of traumaAugust 13, 2008
Volume 65, Issue 2 447-460 doi: 10.1097/TA.0b013e31817dac43
Loder RT.It was the purpose of this study to review equestrian-related injuries using a large nation wide database and analyze predictors of significant injury. Methods: The National Electronic Surveillance System database was queried for equestrian injuries from 2002 to 2004. The presence of a fracture, dislocation, traumatic brain injury, musculoskeletal injury, orthopedic injury, and spinal injury, as well as injury mechanism, geographical location, and emergency room disposition were noted. Bivariate, cosinor seasonal, and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. p < 0.01 was considere...
Kiss K, Swatek P, Lénárt I, Mayr J, Schmidt B, Pintér A, Höllwarth ME.The purpose of the present study was to investigate factors affecting the nature, characteristics, severity and outcome of horseback and horse care injuries in paediatric patients and to create guidelines for injury prevention. Methods: Detailed clinical records of 265 children sustained horse-riding related injuries have been analysed. Questionnaires were mailed to provide follow-up information for patients who have been treated in either Department of Paediatric Surgery in Pécs, Hungary, or Department of Paediatric Surgery in Graz, Austria between 1999 and 2003. Those 112 children (42%) who...
Stiller L, Depczynski J, Fragar L, Franklin R.Child injury on farms is a significant public health problem. This article describes the evidence and consultation base for development of a national strategy for child safety on farms in Australia. Methods: A data profile describing farm child injury was compiled, with evidence for the effectiveness of solutions being defined and the strength of recommendations determined. Representative working groups played a key role in assessing the evidence and advising on the best ways to communicate prevention messages within the farming community. Results: The main risks identified were drowning; farm...
Smith RK.Optimal management of tendon overuse injuries in equine and human athletes should avoid the formation of excessive scar tissue, regenerate normal tendon matrix, and reduce re-injury rates. We hypothesized that the implantation of marrow-derived stromal stem cells (BM-MSCs), in far greater numbers than are present normally within tendon tissue, would synthesize a matrix more closely resembling tendon matrix than scar tissue, and hence increase the capacity to return to performance successfully. This article reviews the technique used clinically in the horse and the current outcome data for hors...
Nixon AJ, Dahlgren LA, Haupt JL, Yeager AE, Ward DL.To assess the potential of adipose-derived nucleated cell (ADNC) fractions to improve tendon repair in horses with collagenase-induced tendinitis. Methods: 8 horses. Methods: Collagenase was used to induce tendinitis in the superficial digital flexor tendon of 1 forelimb in each horse. Four horses were treated by injection of autogenous ADNC fractions, and 4 control horses were injected with PBS solution. Healing was compared by weekly ultrasonographic evaluation. Horses were euthanatized at 6 weeks. Gross and histologic evaluation of tendon structure, fiber alignment, and collagen typing were...
Lee KH, Steenberg LJ.Horseback riding is a common recreational activity that can cause injuries to both mounted and dismounted participants. This study examines the patterns of equine-related maxillofacial fractures presenting in a tertiary referral centre. Patients presenting over an 11-year period from 1996 to 2006 with equine-related maxillofacial fractures were identified through the trauma database. The extent of the injuries, surgical treatment and follow-up details were documented. 45 patients were identified, with an increasing incidence over the study period. 69% were male and 31% female. 31% of patients ...
Merritt JS, Davies HM, Burvill C, Pandy MG.The equine distal forelimb is a common location of injuries related to mechanical overload. In this study, a two-dimensional model of the musculoskeletal system of the region was developed and applied to kinematic and kinetic data from walking and trotting horses. The forces in major tendons and joint reaction forces were calculated. The components of the joint reaction forces caused by wrapping of tendons around sesamoid bones were found to be of similar magnitude to the reaction forces between the long bones at each joint. This finding highlighted the importance of taking into account muscle...
Dyson S, Blunden T, Murray R.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used with increasing frequency to diagnose injuries of the collateral ligaments (CLs) of the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint, but the results have not been verified by histology and the mechanism of injury is poorly understood. Objective: Abnormal signal intensity and tissue contour represents change in tissue structure detected on histology. Objective: To compare results in horses free from and those with chronic lameness and to describe possible progression of lesions. Methods: One or both feet of horses free from lameness (Group N: n = 12) and with foo...
Waselau M, Sutter WW, Genovese RL, Bertone AL.To determine outcome of Standardbred racehorses with moderate to severe midbody suspensory ligament desmitis (MSD) treated by means of ultrasound-guided intralesional injection of a single dose of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) followed by a program of gradually increased exercise. Methods: Nonrandomized clinical trial. Methods: 9 Standardbred racehorses. Methods: Following injection of PRP, horses were allowed a controlled, gradual return to exercise. Race records for the year prior to injury and for 3 consecutive years after horses returned to racing were reviewed. For comparison purposes, race ...
Clarke CN, Tsuei BJ, Butler KL.Morbidity and financial loss caused by equine-related injuries may be significant. The purposes of this study were to determine the patterns of equine-related injury and the impact on outcomes. Methods: A 10-year retrospective review of equine-related injuries was performed. Age, gender, mechanism, injury severity score, Glasgow Coma Score, length of stay, surgical interventions, and mortality were assessed. Results: Of 80 emergency department evaluations, 76 patients were admitted and form the basis of this study. The most frequent mechanism of injury was fall (68%), followed by crush injurie...
Patterson-Kane JC, Firth EC.Despite the high incidence of superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) injury in racehorses, the pathobiology of the condition is not clearly defined. The SDFT improves locomotor efficiency by storing elastic energy, but as a result it has low mechanical safety margins. As with the Achilles tendon in humans, rupture during athletic activity often follows accumulation of exercise and age-induced degenerative change that is not repaired by tenocytes. There is limited understanding of tenocyte biology and pathology, including responses to high mechanical strains and core temperatures during exerc...
Carpenter RS, Galuppo LD, Simpson EL, Dowd JP.To report use of a locking compression plate (LCP) for fetlock arthrodesis in Thoroughbred racehorses after catastrophic disruption of the suspensory apparatus. Methods: Retrospective case study. Methods: Racing Thoroughbreds (n=6) with a catastrophic breakdown injury of the suspensory apparatus. Methods: Medical records (2004-2006) of horses that had fetlock arthrodesis using an LCP were reviewed. Preoperative recorded variables were: age, gender, affected limb, injury type and occurrence, limb support used and time to surgery. Recorded surgical variables were: implants used and cost, surgery...
Turner M, Balendra G, McCrory P.To determine the direct and indirect cost of injuries in professional jockeys as a result of race riding. Methods: Cohort study. Methods: Professional horse racing. Methods: Professional jockeys in the UK registered with the Jockey Club. Methods: Payouts under the Professional Riders Insurance Scheme (PRIS) for injuries sustained by professional jockeys, which were recorded by the Jockey Club injury database between 1996 and 2006 inclusive. Results: In the 11-year period of the study, there were 1328 injuries that resulted in jockeys missing a total of 71,509 days of racing, and as a result PR...
Vos Nj.The 'classical' or 'Hangman' neck fracture involves the odontoid peg (process) of the second cervical vertebra (C2), and is described as an axial, dens or odontoid peg fracture in both the veterinary and human literature. Possible surgical treatment in both foals and adult horses requires a technique that allows decompression, anatomical alignment and stabilisation of the odontoid fracture. A limited number of surgical cases in foals have been reported in literature, but never in an adult horse. A mature Irish Thoroughbred racehorse was diagnosed with a type 2a odontoid peg fracture. Clinical ...
Santschi EM.Articular injuries to the fetlock joint can be categorized as injuries to the soft tissues (synovium, ligaments, cartilage) or bone (third metacarpus/metatarsus, first phalanx, proximal sesamoids). This article focuses on the traumatic injuries to the cartilage and bone from anatomic, functional, and pathophysiological perspectives. An understanding of fetlock motion and loading will assist clinicians in the diagnosis, treatment, and, most importantly, prevention of fetlock injury in working horses.
Smith RK, Goodship AE.Horses as equine athletes must be conditioned and trained to optimize the whole animal for the particular type of athletic activity. An extremely high proportion of all injuries in the equine athlete in general, and in the racehorse in particular, are associated with the skeletal system, many of which are believed to arise from a mismatch between the prevailing exercise levels and adaptation. To maximize performance, yet minimize injury, it is important to understand and apply the principles of functional adaptation of the component tissues of the skeletal system (bone, cartilage, tendons, and...
Fortier LA, Smith RK.After tendon injury, the scar tissue that replaces the damaged tendon results in a substantial risk for reinjury. The goal of regenerative therapies is to restore normal structural architecture and biomechanical function to an injured tissue. Successful restoration processes for any tissue are thought to recapitulate those of development, in which there are spatial and temporal interactions between scaffold, growth factors, and cell populations.
Stover SM, Murray A.The California Postmortem Program studies disease surveillance, discovers new causes of death, and develops new diagnostic methods for disease detection. It also informs directions for research focused on elucidating the etiopathogenesis of, and risk factors for, catastrophic fractures and other causes of death. Because most fatal injuries seem to be the acute culmination of a more chronic process, intervention and prevention of injuries is possible with enhanced knowledge of the etiopathogenesis of injuries and risk factors for injuries. These advances also would facilitate development of man...
van Weeren PR, Firth EC.This article provides an overview of two relatively new techniques that can be used for the early detection of musculoskeletal injury: biochemical markers and CT. The emphasis in the biomarker section is on the early detection of joint disorders because these are most important clinically and most of the research has been conducted in this area. In the section on CT, bone is the target tissue.
Scott M.Quarter horses used for western performance competitions commonly sustain a variety of musculoskeletal injuries. It is important for the veterinarian to have an understanding of some of the breed characteristics and the nature of the competitions in which individual horses are being used so as to diagnose, treat, and prevent injury as effectively as possible.
Weishaupt MA.The skill to diagnose lameness in horses is paramount for every equine practitioner. Early recognition of locomotor deficiencies plays a central role in sports medicine management, preventing deterioration of the disease or catastrophic injuries. Horses use characteristic compensatory movements of specific body parts to decrease loading of the affected limb. This article describes the underlying changes in intra- and interlimb coordination and the resulting load redistribution between the limbs. This enables the practitioner to better understand the changes in movement associated with lameness...
Mellish MA, Adreani CM.A 5-year-old, Quarter horse mare was treated for severe cellulitis secondary to a gunshot wound near the right humerus. The bullet was not retrieved due to the risk of damaging the radial nerve or elbow joint. Despite the presence of the bullet, the mare resumed athletic soundness once the infection had resolved. Traitement d’une blessure par balle chez une jument. Une jument Quarter horse âgée de 5 ans a été traitée pour une cellulite sévère à la suite d’une blessure par balle près de l’humérus droit. Le projectile n’a pas été retiré par crainte de léser le nerf radial o...
Boado A, Pollard D, Dyson S.There is limited information about the orthopaedic health of dressage horses. This study aimed to document the orthopaedic status, lesion distribution, and evolution of injuries in 70 horses undergoing a minimum of five in-depth orthopaedic assessments at six-months' intervals. Warmblood (70.0%) and Iberian (24.3%) breeds predominated. The median lameness grade at initial examination was 2/5 (interquartile range 2,2; range 0,3). Hypermetria (42.9%) or hypermetria and weakness (12.9%) were observed at the initial examination and did not change over time. Metacarpophalangeal/metatarsophalangeal ...
Doherty O, Conway R, McGreevy P.Pressures applied to horses via nosebands are of growing concern. The current study applied noseband pressure to the head of a dead horse. Pressure sensors were placed on the left nasal bone to record pressures as the noseband was progressively tightened. Tightness increased as predicated by holes in the strap of the noseband (as supplied) through eight steps from two fingers' space, assessed using the standard International Society for Equitation Science Taper Gauge through to zero space. Sensors were also placed at the midline frontal plane and intra-orally at the level of the second premola...
Cervantes-Sevilla JR, Ramírez-Cervera M, Guzman-Ruvalcaba MJ.Traumatic hemothorax is a serious condition requiring immediate intervention. We present a case of a 48-year-old male professional jockey who suffered traumatic hemothorax, bilateral pulmonary contusions, and multiple rib fractures after being stomped by a horse. Management included intercostal drainage placement, costal fixation from the 5th to the 10th rib, and intensive care unit admission. Postoperative complications included, acute kidney injury, rhabdomyolysis, and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. This case highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in managing ...
World neurosurgeryMay 18, 2024
Volume 188 e207-e212 doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2024.05.083
De Jesus O, Vigo-Prieto J.Horseback riding can cause severe brain and spinal injuries. This study aimed to identify the spectrum of neurosurgical injuries related to recreational horseback riding. A retrospective study was performed utilizing the University of Puerto Rico neurosurgery database to identify patients who were consulted to the neurosurgery service between 2018 and 2023 after a horse fall during recreational activities. The outcome upon discharge using the modified Rankin scale (mRS) was documented. Descriptive statistics were used to report frequency and median values. The neurosurgery service evaluated an...
Gibson MJ, Legg KA, Gee EK, Rogers CW.The aim of this study was to examine the race-, horse- and jockey-level risk factors for race day fatality in New Zealand Thoroughbred jumps racing using retrospective race day data from the 2011/12 - 2021/22 seasons (n = 8,970 starts). There were 51 race day fatalities resulting in an incidence rate of 5.7 per 1,000 starts (95% C.I. 4.3 - 7.5). The majority of fatalities were the result of fractures (44/51, 4.9 per 1,000 starts, 95% C.I. 3.7 - 6.6). Steeplechase and hurdle races had the same incidence of fatal fractures of 4.9 per 1,000 starts (95% C.I. 3.7-6.6, p > 0.05). Most (70.5%) of...
Millichamp NJ.Horses with ocular trauma frequently present as emergency cases. This article provides a succinct review of various adnexal and globe injury issues. Accurate case assessment, management, prognosis, and follow-up considerations are presented.
Dow SM, Wilson AM, Goodship AE.Horses with acute injuries of the superficial digital flexor tendon were treated with a course of seven intramuscular injections of 500 mg of polysulphated glycosaminoglycan at four-day intervals. Clinical assessments of the lesions were made by a veterinary surgeon at the time of each injection and 14 and 28 days after the last injection. A total of 150 courses of the drug were administered and adequately completed assessment forms were returned for 80 cases. Long-term follow-up data were obtained for 19 cases. The subjective assessments by the veterinary surgeons showed that in 80 per cent o...
Ferraro GL.Thoroughbred racehorses are susceptible to any and all of the commonly described conditions that affect soundness in the horse. This discussion does not include every conceivable ailment or orthopedic condition that afflicts these animals. Rather, it confines itself to a few specific conditions of the racing Thoroughbred that are either unique to their particular endeavor or so overwhelmingly important to a successful racing career that they must, of necessity, be discussed.
Carpenter R, Baxter G.Injuries involving the pastern region are a common source of lameness in many types of performance horses. Knowledge of the common breed- and activity-associated injuries can aid veterinarians in making an accurate diagnosis because injuries of the pastern region are often breed- or use-specific. The differential diagnosis for disorders of the pastern region includes osteoarthritis, osteochondrosis, fractures, infection, and soft tissue injuries. In general, soft tissue injuries of the pastern region can be difficult to diagnose, and affected horses have a reasonable chance of returning to the...
Tennent-Brown BS.Spinal cord injury (SCI) in horses may arise from rearing and falling backward, collisions, kicks, and slipping. The pathophysiology of SCI comprises a primary mechanical injury followed by a cascade of secondary events. These secondary events include microvascular ischemia, oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, ion dysregulation, and inflammation. It is often the severity of secondary injury that limits the restoration of neurologic function. Clinical signs after SCI depend on the location of the lesion and the relative amount of damage to the gray and white matter. Acute management of SCI should...
Mangan E, Xie H.Traditional Chinese herbal medicine has been used for the treatment of equine diseases for thousands of years. Clinical studies have found Chinese herbal medicine to be an effective treatment for a variety of equine conditions, and extensive toxicology studies performed on more than 12,000 Chinese herbs provide guidance for safe administration in the horse. Chinese herbal medicine may be used for preventive medicine as well as an integrative or complementary modality for common equine diseases and injuries.
Knubben JM, Gygax L, Auer J, Fürst A, Staᆲher M.Through a written questionnaire, which was sent to a representatively distributed and randomly selected sample of Swiss horse owners, data of 2912 horses and ponies were acquired to extrapolate prevalence data of health disorders. General questions about the horse and associated factors of housing and use, as well as questions about the current health status and the occurrence of diseases and injuries had been asked. 718 horses (24.7% of the sample) had been examined by a veterinarian within the 12 months prior to the survey. Orthopaedic and traumatic disorders (41.5%) had the largest proporti...
Basran PS, McDonough S, Palmer S, Reesink HL.Proximal sesamoid bone (PSB) fractures are the most common musculoskeletal injury in race-horses. X-ray CT imaging can detect expressed radiological features in horses that experienced catastrophic fractures. Our objective was to assess whether expressed radiomic features in the PSBs of 50 horses can be used to develop machine learning models for predicting PSB fractures. The μCTs of intact contralateral PSBs from 50 horses, 30 of which suffered catastrophic fractures, and 20 controls were studied. From the 129 intact μCT images of PSBs, 102 radiomic features were computed using a variety of...
Lavach JD, Severin GA, Roberts SM.Perforating corneal wounds in horses have a better prognosis than wounds that involve both cornea and sclera. Sharp objects tend to produce more isolated corneal wounds and have a better prognosis than do wounds produced by blunt objects. The records of 43 horses that sustained penetrating wounds of the cornea were reviewed. In addition, the surgical approach and postoperative wound management is described. The report attempts to provide more information regarding the management of ocular trauma in horses.
Martins WD, Fávaro DM, Ribas Mde O, Martins G.A rare case of multiple mandibular fractures and severe facial laceration is presented. The cause was a horse hoof kick to an unmounted equestrian. The pertinent literature is reviewed and the maxillofacial injuries associated with animal interaction are discussed.
Taylor DS, Pascoe JR, Meagher DM, Honnas CM.The medical records of 50 horses examined because of lacerations of the tendon of the superficial or deep digital flexor muscle were reviewed to determine whether any injury or treatment factors could be associated with outcome. Median age of horses treated was 4.5 years (range, 1.5 years to 15 years), and the median follow-up time was 5 years (range, 1.5 to 16 years) after injury. Horses were considered to have survived if they were alive more than 1 year after injury. Twelve of 16 horses that had 1 or the other tendon transected survived; 13 of 16 horses that had both tendons transected surv...