Topic:Lameness

Musculoskeletal examination of the forelimb of the horse.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association    April 30, 2024   1 doi: 10.2460/javma.24.03.0206
J Lacy K, Jens O, Cherise H.The intention of this tutorial video is to illustrate the methods of examining the forelimb and neck of a horse in order to identify abnormalities that may be associated with lameness or disease. Methods: A 16-year-old quarter horse gelding was used for examination. Methods: The horse was examined for abnormalities by means of physical examination. Results: The examination of the forelimb and neck of the horse was successfully completed. Conclusions: This examination technique is required to identify abnormalities in the equine forelimb and can be utilized during a lameness examination.
IL-1ra gene therapy in equine osteoarthritis improves physiological, anatomical, and biological outcomes of joint degeneration.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association    April 22, 2024   1-12 doi: 10.2460/javma.24.02.0078
Goodrich LR, McIlwraith CW, Grieger J, Kraus VB, Stabler T, Werpy N, Phillips J, Samulski RJ, Frisbie D.To evaluate the effects of a gene transfer approach to IL-1β inhibition in an equine osteochondral chip fragment model of joint injury using a self-complementary adeno-associated virus with interleukin receptor antagonist transgene cassette (scAAVIL-1ra), as posttraumatic osteoarthritis in horses, similar to people, is a significant clinical problem. Methods: 16 horses were utilized for the study. Methods: All horses had an osteochondral chip fragment induced arthroscopically in one middle carpal joint while the contralateral joint was sham operated. Eight horses received either scAAVIL-1ra o...
Microvasculature of the suspensory ligament of the equine hind limb.
American journal of veterinary research    April 20, 2024   1-9 doi: 10.2460/ajvr.24.01.0019
Williams MR, Crisman E, Taylor BM.To describe the microvascular anatomy of the equine hind limb suspensory ligament. Methods: 18 hind limbs harvested from 9 adult horses euthanized for reasons unrelated to lameness. Methods: A catheter was placed in the transected cranial tibial artery at the level of the mid-distal tibia for each hind limb and used to inject 120 to 150 mL of contrast medium (2 limbs) to identify principal vasculature using contrast-enhanced CT or India ink (11 limbs) to identify microvasculature using the Spalteholz tissue-clearing technique. Routine histologic evaluation was performed on transverse sections ...
Lameness, muscle atrophy, and a discharging tract overlying the right shoulder region in a 3-year-old gelding.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association    April 10, 2024   1-3 doi: 10.2460/javma.24.02.0085
Fletcher O, Brennan M, Pereira M, Bianco C, Dixon J.No abstract available
Objective movement asymmetry in horses is comparable between markerless technology and sensor-based systems.
Equine veterinary journal    April 2, 2024   doi: 10.1111/evj.14089
Kallerud AS, Marques-Smith P, Bendiksen HK, Fjordbakk CT.A markerless artificial intelligence (AI) system for lameness detection has recently become available but has not been extensively compared with commonly used inertial measurement unit (IMU) systems for detecting asymmetry under field conditions. Objective: Comparison of classification of asymmetric limbs under field conditions and comparison of normalised asymmetry data using a markerless AI system (SleipAI; recorded on a tripod mounted iPhone 14pro [SL]); the Equinosis Q Lameness Locator (LL); the EquiMoves (EM); and subjective evaluation (SE). Methods: Descriptive clinical study. Methods: S...
Low-field magnetic resonance imaging of sagittal groove disease of the proximal phalanx in non-racing sport horses.
Equine veterinary journal    April 2, 2024   doi: 10.1111/evj.14088
Faulkner JE, Joostens Z, Broeckx BJG, Hauspie S, Mariu00ebn T, Vanderperren K.Injuries of the sagittal groove of the proximal phalanx (P1) in equine athletes are considered to predominantly occur due to chronic bone stress overload. Objective: To describe the range of abnormalities that is present in the sagittal groove in a large group of horses diagnosed with sagittal groove disease (SGD) on low-field MRI. Methods: Retrospective, cross-sectional. Methods: Medical records were searched to identify initial MRI images of horses diagnosed with SGD and these were blindly evaluated using a semi-quantitative grading scheme and novel SGD MRI classification system reflecting p...
Classification performance of sEMG and kinematic parameters for distinguishing between non-lame and induced lameness conditions in horses.
Frontiers in veterinary science    April 2, 2024   Volume 11 1358986 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1358986
St George LB, Spoormakers TJP, Hobbs SJ, Clayton HM, Roy SH, Richards J, Serra Braganu00e7a FM.Despite its proven research applications, it remains unknown whether surface electromyography (sEMG) can be used clinically to discriminate non-lame from lame conditions in horses. This study compared the classification performance of sEMG absolute value (sEMGabs) and asymmetry (sEMGasym) parameters, alongside validated kinematic upper-body asymmetry parameters, for distinguishing non-lame from induced fore- (iFL) and hindlimb (iHL) lameness. Bilateral sEMG and 3D-kinematic data were collected from clinically non-lame horses ( = 8) during in-hand trot. iFL and iHL (2-3/5 AAEP) were induced...
Review of the clinical diagnosis of sacroiliac dysfunction in horses – challenges and limitations.
Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)    March 29, 2024   106106 doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2024.106106
Walter LJ, Stack JD, Winderickx K, Davies HMS, Simon O, Franklin SH.Sacroiliac dysfunction (SID) is a condition seen in horses associated with poor performance that affects hind limb gait and impulsion. The condition comprises pain and dysfunction but there lacks clarity around the aetiopathogenesis and whether SID encompasses abnormal joint pathology, abnormal joint movement, abnormal regional biomechanical function, joint laxity and pain, or various combinations of these that may vary over time. Clinical assessment remains challenging for equine clinicians due to the deep location of the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) and surrounding structures which limits access f...
Intraarticular treatment with integrin α10β1-selected mesenchymal stem cells affects microRNA expression in experimental post-traumatic osteoarthritis in horses.
Frontiers in veterinary science    March 26, 2024   Volume 11 1374681 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1374681
Andersen C, Walters M, Bundgaard L, Berg LC, Vonk LA, Lundgren-u00c5kerlund E, Henriksen BL, Lindegaard C, Skovgaard K, Jacobsen S.Osteoarthritis (OA) remains a major cause of lameness in horses, which leads to lost days of training and early retirement. Still, the underlying pathological processes are poorly understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that serve as regulators of many biological processes including OA. Analysis of miRNA expression in diseased joint tissues such as cartilage and synovial membrane may help to elucidate OA pathology. Since integrin α10β1-selected mesenchymal stem cell (integrin α10-MSC) have shown mitigating effect on equine OA we here investigated the effect of integrin α10...
Serial injections of 4% polyacrylamide hydrogel have no detrimental effects in equine joints following clinical, histologic, and synovial biomarker evaluation.
American journal of veterinary research    March 23, 2024   1-7 doi: 10.2460/ajvr.24.01.0016
McClure SR, Peitzmeier MD, Jackman BR, Evans RB, Ziegler CL, Ganta CK.Polyacrylamide hydrogel (4% PAHG) is an inert viscoelastic supplement used to manage osteoarthritis in horses. Even with a prolonged clinical effect, horses may be administered multiple doses during their performance career. The effect of the serial 4% PAHG treatments is not known. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the clinical, histologic, and synovial fluid biomarker effects following serial administration of 4% PAHG in normal equine fetlock joints. Methods: 8 healthy horses. Methods: In a blinded, controlled in vivo study, horses received serial intra-articular injections of 4% ...
Infrared Spectroscopy of Synovial Fluid Shows Accuracy as an Early Biomarker in an Equine Model of Traumatic Osteoarthritis.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    March 22, 2024   Volume 14, Issue 7 986 doi: 10.3390/ani14070986
Panizzi L, Vignes M, Dittmer KE, Waterland MR, Rogers CW, Sano H, McIlwraith CW, Riley CB.Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of lameness and joint disease in horses. A simple, economical, and accurate diagnostic test is required for routine screening for OA. This study aimed to evaluate infrared (IR)-based synovial fluid biomarker profiling to detect early changes associated with a traumatically induced model of equine carpal osteoarthritis (OA). Unilateral carpal OA was induced arthroscopically in 9 of 17 healthy thoroughbred fillies; the remainder served as Sham-operated controls. The median age of both groups was 2 years. Synovial fluid (SF) was obtained before surgical induction...
Computed Tomographic Evaluation of the Sagittal Ridge of the Third Metacarpal Bone in Young Thoroughbred Racehorses: A Longitudinal Study.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    March 6, 2024   Volume 14, Issue 5 812 doi: 10.3390/ani14050812
Boros K, Dyson S, Kovu00e1cs u00c1, Lang Z, Nagy A.Metacarpophalangeal joint region pain is a common cause of lameness in racehorses. Radiological abnormalities in the sagittal ridge (SR) of the third metacarpal bone have been associated with joint effusion, lameness and reduced sales prices. The aims were to describe computed tomographic (CT) appearance of the SR in racehorses, and to document the progression of these findings over three assessments. Forty yearlings were enrolled at the first examination (time 0). Re-examinations were performed twice, approximately six months apart on 31 (time 1) and 23 (time 2) horses, respectively. Computed...
A Retrospective Study on the Status of Working Equids Admitted to an Equine Clinic in Cairo: Disease Prevalence and Associations between Physical Parameters and Outcome.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    March 6, 2024   Volume 14, Issue 5 817 doi: 10.3390/ani14050817
Benedetti B, Freccero F, Barton J, Elmallah F, Refat S, Padalino B.Working equids are often used to exhaustion, living and dying in conditions below minimal welfare standards. Due to their poor welfare status, euthanasia should be considered in certain conditions. The study aimed to describe the population and the disease frequency of the working equids admitted at an equine clinic in Cairo (i.e., Egypt Equine Aid (EEA)) from 2019 to 2022 and identify possible associations between physical parameters at admission and the outcome. Records of 1360 equids admitted at EEA were reviewed. The majority of the admitted equids were horses (65.6%), followed by donkeys ...
microRNAs are differentially expressed in equine plasma of horses with osteoarthritis and osteochondritis dissecans versus control horses.
PloS one    February 23, 2024   Volume 19, Issue 2 e0297303 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297303
Antunes J, Salcedo-Jimu00e9nez R, Lively S, Potla P, Cotu00e9 N, Dubois MS, Koenig J, Kapoor M, LaMarre J, Koch TG.Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of lameness in horses with no effective disease-modifying treatment and challenging early diagnosis. OA is considered a disease of the joint involving the articular cartilage, subchondral bone, synovial membrane, and ligaments. Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a joint disease consisting of focal defects in the osteochondral unit which may progress to OA later in life. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been recognized as small non-coding RNAs that regulate a variety of biological processes and have been detected in biological fluids. MiRNAs are currently investiga...
Advances in the Clinical Diagnostics to Equine Back Pain: A Review of Imaging and Functional Modalities.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    February 23, 2024   Volume 14, Issue 5 698 doi: 10.3390/ani14050698
Domau0144ska-Kruppa N, Wierzbicka M, Stefanik E.Back pain is common in ridden horses. Back diseases in horses include Impinging Dorsal Spinous Processes, Ventral Spondylosis, Osteoarthritis of Articular Process, Intervertebral Discs Disease, Vertebral Fractures, Conformational Abnormalities, Desmopathy of the Supraspinous Ligament, Desmopathy of the Intraspinous Ligament, and Longissimus Muscle Strain. Back pain may also develop as a result of lameness (particularly hindlimb lameness). A poorly fitting saddle and an unbalanced rider are also considered important factors influencing the development of back pain in horses. The conventional di...
Equine brucellosis in Iran: serological, bacteriological and molecular analysis.
Veterinary research communications    February 17, 2024   doi: 10.1007/s11259-024-10332-0
Amini M, Alamian S, Talebhemmat M, Dadar M.Equine brucellosis significantly impacts the health and functionality of horses, leading to complications such as bursitis infection, septic tenosynovitis, septic arthritis, and non-specific lameness resulting from joint infections. In the present study, we used the Rose Bengal plate agglutination test (RBPT), serum agglutination test (SAT), and the 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) assays to find equine brucellosis. From June 2018 to September 2022, 876 blood samples were randomly taken from apparently healthy racing horses in certain parts of Iran, such as Kerman, Isfahan, Tehran, Qom, and Kurdistan....
Multicentric lymphoma in a donkey with intestinal and bone marrow involvement.
BMC veterinary research    February 15, 2024   Volume 20, Issue 1 57 doi: 10.1186/s12917-024-03903-5
Paraschou G, Xue C, Egan R, Bolfa P.Lymphoma is a common neoplasm in horses but is reported much less commonly in donkeys. In this case report, we describe the macroscopic, microscopic and immunohistochemical features of a multicentric lymphoma with intestinal and bone marrow involvement. Methods: A geriatric female donkey with history of chronic lameness was found dead. Post-mortem examination revealed advanced emaciation, periodontal disease, left front foot laminitis and multiple, soft, white to yellow tan intestinal transmural masses, up to 12 cm in diameter. Cytology suggested a round cell intestinal neoplasm. The femur of...
Dorsal-to-palmar branch neuroanastomosis in horses undergoing palmar digital neurectomy does not reduce neuroma formation or improve outcome.
Veterinary surgery : VS    February 15, 2024   doi: 10.1111/vsu.14075
Whisenant KD, Foucaud M, Mariu00ebn T, Levine D, Richardson DW, Stefanovski D, Scherrer NM, Engiles JB, Ortved K.Chronic foot pain, a common cause of forelimb lameness, can be treated by palmar digital neurectomy (PDN). Complications include neuroma formation and lameness recurrence. In humans, neuroanastomoses are performed to prevent neuroma formation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the outcome of horses undergoing dorsal-to-palmar branch neuroanastomosis following PDN. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Eighty-five horses with PDN and dorsal-to-palmar branch neuroanastomosis. Methods: Medical records for horses undergoing this procedure at two hospitals between 2015 and 2020 were revie...
Development, refinement, and validation of an equine musculoskeletal pain scale.
Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland)    January 19, 2024   Volume 4 1292299 doi: 10.3389/fpain.2023.1292299
Auer U, Kelemen Z, Vogl C, von Ritgen S, Haddad R, Torres Borda L, Gabmaier C, Breteler J, Jenner F.Musculoskeletal disease is a common cause of chronic pain that is often overlooked and inadequately treated, impacting the quality of life of humans and horses alike. Lameness due to musculoskeletal pain is prevalent in horses, but the perception of pain by owners is low compared with veterinary diagnosis. Therefore, this study aims to establish and validate a pain scale for chronic equine orthopaedic pain that is user-friendly for horse owners and veterinarians to facilitate the identification and monitoring of pain in horses. The newly developed musculoskeletal pain scale (MPS) was applied t...
Prejudicial findings regarding suitability for intended purpose during pre-purchase examinations in a mixed horse population-A retrospective observational study in the United Kingdom.
Equine veterinary journal    January 17, 2024   doi: 10.1111/evj.14061
Shelton AV, Tupper J, Bolt DM.Pre-purchase examinations (PPEs) are performed for prospective purchasers of horses to identify prejudicial findings that could make animals unsuitable for an intended use. Although this examination process is often standardised, PPEs remain, in large parts, a subjective procedure. In the United Kingdom, PPEs generally consist of either a two stage (two stage vetting [2SV], i.e., general physical examination at rest and basic trot in-hand) or a five stage-examination (five stage vetting [5SV], i.e., general physical exam at rest and after exercise, lameness evaluation including strenuous exerc...
Joint Stress Analysis of the Navicular Bone of the Horse and Its Implications for Navicular Disease.
Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland)    January 17, 2024   Volume 11, Issue 1 87 doi: 10.3390/bioengineering11010087
Fuss FK.The horse's navicular bone is located inside the hoof between the deep flexor tendon (DDFT) and the middle and end phalanges. The aim of this study was to calculate the stress distribution across the articular surface of the navicular bone and to investigate how morphological variations of the navicular bone affect the joint forces and stress distribution. Joint forces normalised to the DDFT force were calculated from force and moment equilibria from morphological parameters determined on mediolateral radiographs. The stress distribution on the articular surface was determined from the moment ...
Equine subchondral lucencies: Knowledge from the medial femoral condyle.
Veterinary surgery : VS    January 16, 2024   doi: 10.1111/vsu.14062
Santschi EM.Equine subchondral lucencies (SCL) have been described since the first availability of suitable radiographic equipment. The initial clinical sign can be lameness, but SCLs are often first found on surveys of juvenile horses and are primarily a radiographic concern for public auctions. When lameness is present, it varies from subtle to obvious and can be intermittent. Some SCLs heal spontaneously, and some remain blemishes, but when the SCL and lameness are persistent, further damage to the joint and limitations to an athletic career are likely. SCLs were initially described in the distal limb ...
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma products for treatment of equine joint disease.
Equine veterinary journal    January 7, 2024   doi: 10.1111/evj.14042
Peng C, Yang L, Labens R, Gao Y, Zhu Y, Li J.Equine joint disease including septic arthritis (SA) and osteoarthritis (OA) is a critical cause of equine lameness. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is one of the most popular regenerative therapies to treat equine OA, even SA, but the evidence in support of the treatment is conflicting. Objective: The aim of the study was to systematically review the current evidence on PRP products used for SA and OA, as well as the efficacy of PRP products as treatment for OA on the basis of a meta-analysis of the available literature. Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A systematic search of...
Chiropractic effects on stride parameters and heart rate during exercise in sport horses.
Equine veterinary journal    January 4, 2024   doi: 10.1111/evj.14043
Lorello O, Rule E, Haughan J, Wang K, Niu M, Brown K, Navas de Solis C.Equine veterinarians performing chiropractic treatments are frequently asked to evaluate and treat sound horses to improve their performance and address pain associated with the axial skeleton. Studies describing the effects and mechanisms of chiropractic treatments in horses without overt lameness are scarce. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of chiropractic treatments on stride rate, length, symmetry, heart rate and rider-perceived quality of the ridden work in sport horses. Methods: A blind randomised controlled trial with crossover design. Methods: Thirty-eight horses ridd...
Radiation from the equine perineal region is low compared with the elbow and head 24 hours after bone scintigraphic examination. Marcelino L, Falk E, Johansson J, Rydu00e9n J, Uhlhorn M, Ley CJ.The timing of follow-up radiography and ultrasound in horses that undergo skeletal scintigraphy for lameness investigation varies internationally and between equine hospitals. The prospective, one-group, pretest, posttest study aimed to estimate radiation levels from horses three and 24 h after injection of hydroxydiphosphonate labeled with metastable technetium ( Tc-HDP) and investigate which anatomical locations of the horse had higher radiation levels. Included were 46 horses referred for lameness investigation between June and December 2021. Radiation levels from the horse surface were me...
Frequency and nature of health issues among horses housed in an active open barn compared to single boxes-A field study.
Equine veterinary journal    January 3, 2024   doi: 10.1111/evj.14054
Kjellberg L, Dahlborn K, Roepstorff L, Morgan K.Keeping horses in open barns has positive effects on social interaction and free movement, which may improve horse welfare. However, many horse owners fear that housing in open barns leads to more injuries. Objective: To compare health events among horses housed in an active open barn (AOB) or in single boxes (BOX). Methods: A prospective study during 9 months and a 2-year retrospective study. Methods: Two housing systems in one farm were investigated: AOB and BOX in pairs or alone in paddock (2-4 h/day) using 66 and 69 horses in the prospective respectively retrospective study. Lameness, ...
Changes in the equine facial repertoire during different orthopedic pain intensities.
Scientific reports    January 2, 2024   Volume 14, Issue 1 129 doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-50383-y
Ask K, Rhodin M, Rashid-Engstru00f6m M, Hernlund E, Andersen PH.A number of facial expressions are associated with pain in horses, however, the entire display of facial activities during orthopedic pain have yet to be described. The aim of the present study was to exhaustively map changes in facial activities in eight resting horses during a progression from sound to mild and moderate degree of orthopedic pain, induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) administered in the tarsocrural joint. Lameness progression and regression was measured by objective gait analysis during movement, and facial activities were described by EquiFACS in video sequences (n = 348...
Navicular bone fracture and severe deep digital flexor tendinopathy after palmar digital neurectomy in two horses.
Open veterinary journal    December 31, 2023   Volume 13, Issue 12 1752-1759 doi: 10.5455/OVJ.2023.v13.i12.24
Larsen EA, Williams MR, Schoonover MJ, Jurek KA, Young JM, Duddy HR.Navicular syndrome is a common cause of forelimb lameness in horses. Beyond changes to the navicular bone itself, horses with a clinical diagnosis of navicular syndrome often have pathology associated with other components of the navicular apparatus, including the navicular bursa, deep digital flexor (DDF) tendon, collateral sesamoidean ligaments, and impar ligament. Palmar digital neurectomy (PDN) is often used as a salvage procedure for horses diagnosed with navicular syndrome that become unresponsive to medical management. There are many potential complications associated with PDN, some of ...
The efficacy of injecting a distillate of the pitcher plant (Sarraceniaceae) adjacent to the palmar digital nerves of horses to ameliorate lameness caused by digital pain.
Journal of equine veterinary science    December 23, 2023   104974 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104974
Livesey L, DeGraves F, Allred C, Boone L, Schumacher J.This study aimed to determine the efficacy of instilling extract of the pitcher plant around the palmar digital nerves of horses to ameliorate digit pain causing lameness. Five mixed breed horses were recruited. Horses were determined to be lame because of pain in the distal portion of one or both thoracic limbs by a positive response to a basisesamoid nerve block using mepivacaine hydrochloride. Gait was evaluated pre- and post-nerve block at 30 min, 3, 7,14 and 21 days. At the 3-week evaluation, the basisesamoid nerve block was repeated using the extract, and the gait was evaluated at simila...
Presence and size of synovial masses within the navicular bursa correlate well between magnetic resonance imaging and bursoscopy and have a guarded prognosis.
Equine veterinary journal    December 22, 2023   doi: 10.1111/evj.14040
Giorio ME, Graham RJ, Berner D, O'Neill HD, Bladon BM.Focal hyperintense lesions within the navicular bursa emanating from the dorsal border of the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) can be recognised on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRI) and have been attributed to lameness in horses. Removal of these lesions, also referred to as synovial masses, by navicular bursoscopy is currently recommended. Objective: To investigate the correlation between MRI and navicular bursoscopic findings. It is hypothesised that the prognosis following surgery is proportional to the size of the DDFT lesion. Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical records....
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