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Topic:Lameness
Lameness in horses is a condition characterized by an abnormal gait or stance due to pain or mechanical dysfunction affecting the limbs or spine. It is a common issue in equine practice and can result from a variety of causes, including injury, infection, or degenerative diseases. Lameness can affect a horse's performance and quality of life, making accurate diagnosis and management important for equine health. Diagnostic techniques often include physical examination, imaging, and gait analysis. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the etiology, diagnostic methods, and management strategies for lameness in horses.
A study on the pathogenesis of equine sesamoiditis: the effects of experimental occlusion of the sesamoidean artery. In this study the potential role of circulatory disturbances in the pathogenesis of sesamoiditis was investigated by studying the clinical and histological effects of experimental occlusion of the sesamoidean artery, which is the main nutrient artery of the proximal sesamoid bone (PSB). For this purpose, five adult Dutch Warmblood horses were used in which the sesamoidean artery was occluded with polyvinyl alcohol foam particles. Bone labelling was carried out with oxytetracycline and calcein. All animal were checked clinically three times a week and radiographically at days 14, 21, 28 and 35....
Characterisation of reconstituted equine cartilage formed in vitro. Lesions in cartilage of equine weightbearing joints commonly result in lameness. Cell-based resurfacing techniques are currently being developed for human and veterinary applications. Biopsies of stifle joint cartilage (1 g) were harvested aseptically and chondrocytes were isolated by sequential enzyme digestion. The cells were grown in vitro on filter inserts. Analysis of cultures 8 weeks later showed that the cells had accumulated extracellular matrix and formed a continuous layer of cartilagenous tissue as determined histologically. The cells maintained their phenotype as they synthesised t...
The effect of intra-articular methylprednisolone acetate and exercise on equine carpal subchondral and cancellous bone microhardness. Dorsal carpal osteochondral injury is a major cause of lameness in horses undergoing high intensity training. Intra-articular corticosteroid treatment is used commonly to manage exercise-associated articular pain, but its use remains highly controversial in the equine athlete. This project, therefore, aimed to compare the mechanical properties of intra-articular MPA and diluent-treated middle carpal subchondral and cancellous bone in horses undergoing a short-term treadmill exercise programme. It was hypothesised that subchondral and cancellous bone mechanical properties are influenced by intr...
Normal ultrasonographic anatomy and injury of the patellar ligaments in the horse. The purposes of this study were to investigate the ultrasonographic appearance of the patellar ligaments in clinically normal horses and to describe the clincical features, diagnosis and outcome of patellar ligament injury. The medial, middle and lateral patellar ligaments of 5 Thoroughbred and 5 Warmblood horses, free from lameness and in full work, were examined ultrasonographically. The ligaments were all of uniform echogenicity and each ligament was fairly consistent in its shape. The size of the ligaments of the Warmblood horses tended to be bigger than the lighter bodyweight Thoroughbred...
Tenoscopic-assisted treatment of open digital flexor tendon sheath injuries in horses: 20 cases (1992-2001). To determine history, physical and diagnostic examination findings, medical treatment, and outcome of horses with open injuries to the digital flexor tendon sheath treated with the assistance of tenoscopy. Methods: Betrospective study. Methods: 20 horses. Methods: Medical records of 20 horses with open injuries to the digital flexor tendon sheath were reviewed. Signalment, history, physical and diagnostic examination results, bacteriologic culture and susceptibility testing results, surgical and medical treatments, and follow-up examination results were determined. Outcome was determined by us...
Accelerometer-based system for the detection of lameness in horses. Video-based kinematic analysis of gait in horses is accurate for quantification of lameness and reliable for identification of the affected limb. Algorithms for the measurement of the vertical head and pelvic displacement and phase correlation with vertical displacement of one forelimb and hindlimb foot have been developed for this purpose. However, because of camera field-of-view limitations, video-based analysis of gait can only be reliably accomplished with the horse constrained to move on a treadmill. This paper describes the use of 2 single-axis accelerometers and 2 gyroscopic transducers...
Clinical effects of betamethasone and hyaluronan, and of defocalized carbon dioxide laser treatment on traumatic arthritis in the fetlock joints of horses. The clinical effects of intra-articular betamethasone together with hyaluronan (betaM/HA) and treatment with a defocalized carbon dioxide laser on acute traumatic arthritis of the fetlock joint were assessed. The horses in these studies were selected using a thorough lameness examination, including intra-articular anaesthesia abolishing the lameness. This investigation comprised an observer-blind study, including 10 sport horses (10 joints), and a prospective study, including 180 sport horses (333 joints). In both studies, the material was divided into two groups treated with either betaM/HA o...
Effectiveness of glyceryl trinitrate for enhancing digital submural perfusion in horses. To evaluate the clinical efficacy of topically administered glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) for inducing digital submural vasodilation in clinically normal horses. Methods: 7 adult horses without foot abnormalities. Methods: A concurrent-control crossover design was used to determine whether topical application of GTN ointment for prevention or treatment of laminitis would result in a detectable increase in digital perfusion. Heat-acclimated horses instumented for detection of wall surface temperature (HWST), mean systemic pressure, and heart rate were used. Horses were exposed to cold to induce dig...
Epidural morphine and detomidine decreases postoperative hindlimb lameness in horses after bilateral stifle arthroscopy. To determine whether preoperative epidural administration of morphine and detomidine would decrease postoperative lameness after bilateral stifle arthroscopy in horses. Methods: Prospective clinical controlled study. Methods: Eight adult horses that had bilateral arthroscopic procedures, including drilling of cartilage and subchondral bone within the femoropatellar joints. Methods: Horses were randomly separated into 2 groups. Preoperatively, 4 horses were administered a combination of epidural morphine (0.2 mg/kg) and detomidine (30 microg/kg), and 4 horses were administered an equivalent vol...
Osteoarthrosis of the antebrachiocarpal joint of 7 riding horses. Osteoarthrosis (OA) of the antebrachiocarpal joint from 7 riding horses is described. The horses were old mares and developed severe OA, with ankylosis in some of the joints. The lesions were bilateral, and the owners noticed the lameness in a late event. The cause of severe OA in these mares is not clear. The fact that OA was bilateral indicates that a single traumatic injury is unlikely as an etiologic factor. Considering the severe joint lesions it took long time before the horse-owners noticed the lameness. It is discussed if the threshold of pain is higher in the antebrachiocarpal joint c...
Effectiveness of a unique dihydropyridine (BAYTG 1000) for prevention of laminitis in horses. To determine whether a unique dihydropyridine (BAYTG 1000) would be beneficial in preventing laminitis in horses. Methods: 16 clinically normal adult horses. Methods: 8 pairs of horses were used in a controlled double-blind study, using sex- and age-matched horses randomly assigned to treatment or control groups. Horses were subjected to carbohydrate overload to induce laminitis. Treated horses were administered BAY TG 1000 (30 mg/kg, PO, q 24 h) for 3 days. Hoof wall surface temperature (HWST) and lameness were recorded at 4-hour intervals. The HWST was adjusted on the basis of time of onset ...
Calculated forelimb flexor tendon forces in horses with experimentally induced superficial digital flexor tendinitis and the effects of application of heel wedges. To calculate forces in the flexor tendons and the influence of heel wedges in affected and contralateral (compensating) forelimbs of horses with experimentally induced unilateral tendinitis of the superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendon. Methods: 5 Warmblood horses. Procedure-Ground reaction force and kinematic data were obtained during a previous study while horses were trotting before and after induction of tendinitis in 1 forelimb SDF and after application of 6 degrees heel wedges to both forehooves. Forces in the SDF, deep digital flexor (DDF), and the suspensory ligament (SL) and strain i...
Septic flexor tendon core lesions in five horses. Intratendonous infection in the absence of any clinical evidence of a wound has not, to our knowledge, been described previously in horses. This paper reports the clinical features, diagnostic techniques. treatment and outcome in 5 cases of septic flexor tendon core lesions. This condition is characterised by seven lameness and ultrasonographic evidence of a central intratendonous anechoic core lesion which may enlarge rapidly.
Subjective and quantitative scintigraphic assessment of the equine foot and its relationship with foot pain. It was hypothesised that in solar bone images of the front feet of clinically normal horses, or horses with lameness unrelated to the front feet, there would be less than a 10% difference in the ratio of uptake of radiopharmaceutical in either the region of the navicular bone, or the region of insertion of the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT), compared to the peripheral regions of the distal phalanx. Nuclear scintigraphic examination of the front feet of 15 Grand Prix show jumping horses, all of which were free from detectable lameness, was performed using dorsal, lateral and solar images. Th...
Fusion of the distal sesamoid and distal phalanx in a yearling colt. This paper describes a rare malformation of the distal portion of the left foredigit of a 15-month-old half-bred colt which was severely lame. Radiological, pathological and tomographic studies revealed hypoplasia of the metacarpophalangeal skeleton, absence of the distal sesamoid and deformation of the distal phalanx. Morphological analysis of the lesion and computerised measurement of the width of the articular surface of the distal phalanx suggested an early fusion between the distal sesamoid and distal phalanx.
Clinical evaluation of the effects of immobilization followed by remobilization and exercise on the metacarpophalangeal joint in horses. To evaluate clinical effects of immobilization followed by remobilization and exercise on the metacarpophalangeal joint (MPJ) in horses. Methods: 5 healthy horses. Methods: After lameness, radiographic, and force plate examinations to determine musculoskeletal health, 1 forelimb of each horse was immobilized in a fiberglass cast for 7 weeks, followed by cast removal and increasing amounts of exercise, beginning with hand-walking and ending with treadmill exercise. Lameness examination, arthrocentesis of both MPJ, single-emulsion radiographic examination, nuclear scintigraphic examination, grou...
Thermolysin activates equine lamellar hoof matrix metalloproteinases. Cultured equine lamellar hoof explants secrete the pro-enzymes matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2, 72 kDa) and MMP-2 (92 kDa). Untreated explants remained intact when tested on a calibrated force transducer, but when treated with an MMP activator, developed "in-vitro laminitis", separating at the dermal-epidermal junction. Explants treated with the bacterial protease thermolysin separated dose-dependently; this was accompanied by activation of both MMP-2 and -9. Thermolysin-mediated MP activation did not occur in a cell-free system and was not inhibited by the addition of the MMP inhibitor and ...
Unusual osteochondral lesions of the talus in a horse. A 2-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was evaluated for a grade 3 out of 5 unilateral hind limb lameness. Flexion of the right hock and stifle joints (spavin test) exacerbated the lameness. Response to intra-articular and perineural anaesthesia isolated the source of lameness to the tarsocrural area, despite an absence of tarsocrural joint effusion. Routine radiographic examination of the hock did not reveal any significant abnormalities. Skeletal nuclear scintigraphic evaluation revealed a focal region of increased bone activity in the proximal medial trochlear ridge of the talus. Flexed laterome...
Subchondral bone thickness, hardness and remodelling are influenced by short-term exercise in a site-specific manner. It was hypothesised that subchondral bone thickness, hardness and remodelling are influenced by exercise intensity, and by location within a joint. Dorsal carpal osteochondral injury is a major cause of lameness in horses undergoing high intensity training. This project aimed to determine the subchondral bone thickness, formation, resorption and hardness at sites with high and low incidence of pathology in 2 year-old horses undergoing 19 weeks high intensity treadmill training or low intensity exercise, and to compare these factors between exercise groups. Dorsal and palmar test sites were ide...
Computerized detection of supporting forelimb lameness in the horse using an artificial neural network. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether artificial neural networks could be used to determine equine lameness by computational means only. The integral parts of our approach were the combination of automated signal tracking of horses on a treadmill and the computational power of artificial neural networks (ANN). The motion of 175 horses trotting on a treadmill was recorded using the SELSPOT II system for motion analysis. Two cameras traced infrared (IR) markers on the head and on the left forehoof. The motion of the head was Fourier-transformed and further processed by a multilaye...
In vivo transmission of impact shock waves in the distal forelimb of the horse. There is a high prevalence of lameness among Standardbred trotters, most commonly caused by noninfectious joint diseases, mainly related to training and competition. In this context, impact-related shock waves transmitted through the skeleton and joints have been proposed to be one important factor in the development of osteoarthritis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the characteristic pattern of the events immediately following first contact, with a focus on the in vivo transmission of impact shock waves in the distal forelimb. Two horses were trotted by hand over a force plat...
Forelimb tendon loading during jump landings and the influence of fence height. Lameness in athletic horses is often caused by forelimb tendon injuries, especially in the interosseus tendon (TI) and superficial digital flexor tendon (SDF), but also in the accessory ligament (AL) of the deep digital flexor tendon (DDF). In an attempt to explain the aetiology of these injuries, the present study investigated the loading of the tendons during landing after a jump. In jumping horses, the highest forces can be expected in the trailing limb during landing. Therefore, landing kinematics and ground reaction forces of the trailing forelimb were measured from 6 horses jumping singl...
Assessment of gait irregularities in the horse: eye vs. gait analysis. The purpose of this study was to verify the sensitivity of 2 gait analysis methods in detecting subtle lameness and to compare the results to the traditional orthopaedic evaluation. Twenty-two horses were evaluated (1) subjectively by 3 different experienced clinicians and (2) objectively with synchronised ground reaction force and accelerometric gait measurements on a treadmill. The horses were assigned for each of the 3 methods independently to one of 3 groups (GR): sound, lameness front limb, lameness hindlimb. Additionally, for each horse, the affected limb (AL) and degree of lameness (DL)...
Kinematic analysis of the symmetry of limb movements in lame trotting horses. This study was undertaken to describe the symmetry of movements of fore- and hindlimbs in horses suffering from various spontaneous lamenesses. Two groups of horses were studied: 13 clinically sound horses and 24 lame horses. Using a 3-dimensional (3-D) kinematic analysis system, movements of both sides of each horse were recorded simultaneously while trotting on a track. The differences in motion between left and right homologous joints of each horse were quantified using symmetry indices based on an intercorrelation method. Symmetry indices obtained for each lame horse were then compared wit...
Body centre of mass movement in the lame horse. The body centre of mass (BCM) is a key factor in the analysis of equine gait, as its position and movement determines the distribution and magnitude of loads on the limbs. Changes in the BCM movement are proposed to be important factors in the lameness management of horses. In this study, changes in the position and the 3-dimensional (3-D) movement of the BCM in horses with induced forelimb lameness were studied using a kinematic, segmental method. The kinematics of 30 markers representing 20 body segments were recorded in 12 horses while trotting (3.9 m/s) on a treadmill using a high speed vi...
Factors influencing blood flow in the equine digit and their effect on uptake of 99m technetium methylene diphosphonate into bone. It was hypothesised that exercise may promote perfusion of the distal part of the limbs and enhance uptake of radiopharmaceutical into bone, but bandaging and lameness would have no effect. Two hundred and two horses undergoing routine nuclear scintigraphic examination for assessment of lameness or poor performance between November 1998 and November 1999 were assigned randomly to one of 4 groups: no bandages and no exercise (NB/NE); bandages and no exercise (B/NE); no bandages and exercise (NB/E); bandages and exercise (B/E). In the bandage groups, the distal forelimbs were bandaged for at lea...
Surgical repair of coxofemoral luxation in a horse. A 4-year-old castrated male Miniature Horse was evaluated because of severe right hind limb lameness of 5 days' duration. The diagnosis of craniodorsal luxation of the right coxofemoral joint was made by physical examination and radiographic imaging. Closed reduction was attempted but was unsuccessful. Surgical reduction was successfully performed, using toggle pin, synthetic capsular reconstruction, and trochanteric transposition techniques. No postoperative complications were observed. Follow-up 26 months after surgery revealed no recurrence of the luxation and no evidence of lameness. These...
The role of thermography in the management of equine lameness. Equine thermography has increased in popularity recently because of improvements in thermal cameras and advances in image-processing software. The basic principle of thermography involves the transformation of surface heat from an object into a pictorial representation. The colour gradients generated reflect differences in the emitted heat. Variations from normal can be used to detect lameness or regions of inflammation in horses. Units can be so sensitive that flexor tendon injuries can be detected before the horse develops clinical lameness. Thermography has been used to evaluate several dif...
Use of the flexion test of the distal forelimb in the sound horse: repeatability and effect of age, gender, weight, height and fetlock joint range of motion. The flexion test of the distal limb is a commonly used clinical tool in both lame and sound horses. In the latter use it is given some predictive value. In recent studies it has been shown that examiner-related factors (force, time) may strongly influence the outcome of the test. In the present study, the possible influences of a number of horse-related factors and short- and long-term repeatability were investigated. Flexion tests were performed by the same researcher in 100 clinically sound horses under standardized conditions. The outcome of the test was scored on a 9-point semiquantitative...
