The musculoskeletal system in horses encompasses the bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints that facilitate movement and provide structural support. This system is essential for locomotion, athletic performance, and overall health in equine species. The equine skeleton consists of approximately 205 bones, which are connected by joints and supported by a network of muscles and connective tissues. Tendons connect muscles to bones, while ligaments link bones to other bones, contributing to joint stability. The musculoskeletal system is subject to various conditions, including injuries, degenerative diseases, and developmental disorders, which can impact a horse's mobility and performance. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the anatomy, physiology, pathology, and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions in horses.
Shingleton WD, Mackie EJ, Cawston TE, Jeffcott LB.Cartilage canals have been described in most mammals and contain the vascular elements necessary for the maintenance of epiphyseal growth cartilage. The presence and longevity of cartilage canals in developing articular/epiphyseal cartilage of horses is described for the first time. Growth cartilages from 30 normal horses (from 130 days gestation to age 2 years) and 6 cases of dyschondroplasia (age 6 months. Cartilage canals were associated with retained cartilage of dyschondroplastic lesions found in animals age < 15 months. The presence of cartilage canals in association with dyschondrop...
Gibson KT, Burbidge HM, Pfeiffer DU.This study documents the results of non-surgical treatment and treatment by superior check desmotomy in Thoroughbred racehorses with superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendonitis. Methods: A prospective study was made of 124 thoroughbred racehorses with unilateral or bilateral SDF tendonitis. Methods: The flexor tendons were assessed by physical and ultrasonographic examination before treatment, and the lesions detected in affected tendons were characterised according to lesion type, length and cross-sectional area. Ninety three horses were managed non-surgically and 31 by superior check desmoto...
Todhunter PG, Schumacher J, Finn-Bodner ST.Chronic lameness was determined to be caused by desmitis of the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon and adhesions associated with these 2 structures. Desmotomy of the accessory ligament, resection of adhesions, and controlled exercise during convalescence resulted in return to normal use without apparent lameness.
Ruohoniemi M, Kärkkäinen M, Tervahartiala P.Six Finnhorse cadaver forefeet were selected to represent radiographically different types and grades of ossification of the collateral cartilages of the distal phalanx. These cartilages and adjacent tissues were evaluated with computed tomography (CT) and high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In CT the internal structure of the cartilages was consistent, but in MRI some differences were noted. The shape of the collateral cartilages and their ligamentous attachments varied. The border between ossified and non-ossified cartilage appeared distinct, with considerable variation in the exten...
Whitton RC, Rose RJ.To determine the relative contributions of the palmar intercarpal ligaments in the midcarpal joint to the restraint of dorsal displacement of the proximal row of carpal bones. Methods: A biomechanical study of cadaver equine carpi. Methods: Eight equine forelimbs from six thoroughbred horses. Methods: With joints in full extension, the radius was dorsally displaced while midcarpal joint displacement was measured. The restraining force at a joint displacement of 1.5 mm was determined from the load-displacement curve. A ligament or pair of ligaments was then cut and the testing procedure repeate...
Whitton RC, McCarthy PH, Rose RJ.To describe in detail the structure of the medial palmar intercarpal ligament (MPICL), the lateral palmar intercarpal ligament (LPICL), and a dorsomedial intercarpal ligament (DMICL) of the equine midcarpal joint. Methods: Dissections of equine midcarpal joints. ANIMALS AND SAMPLE POPULATION: Ten carpal joints from eight thoroughbred horses. Methods: Detailed dissections of the midcarpal joint were performed, with particular attention paid to the MPICL, the LPICL, and the DMICL. The attachments and dimensions of these structures were recorded, as well as their behavior during joint movement. R...
O'Farrell DA, Irshad F, Thorns BS, McElwain JP.A series of pelvic and acetabular injuries caused by horse riding accidents is reported. The importance of wearing appropriate protective clothing when riding is emphasised.
Cohen ND, Peloso JG, Mundy GD, Fisher M, Holland RE, Little TV, Misheff MM, Watkins JP, Honnas CM, Moyer W.To describe and compare data from Thoroughbreds that sustained musculoskeletal injuries while racing with data from matched control horses. Methods: Matched case-control study. Methods: 216 Thoroughbreds that sustained a musculoskeletal injury while racing and 532 horses from the same races that were not injured. Methods: Data regarding racing history, race-entrant characteristics, racing events determined by analysis of videotapes of races, and results of prerace physical inspections were determined for all horses. Injured horses were compared with control horses by using conditional logistic...
Chan CC, Munroe GA.Chronic septic tenosynovitis with concurrent, associated focal osteomyelitis of the lateral proximal sesamoid bone was diagnosed in a seven-year-old thoroughbred gelding. Surgical management of this case consisted of open annular ligament desmotomy and curettage of the affected sesamoid. Following lavage of the digital sheath the incisional wound was closed but a 2 cm gap was left distally to allow for postoperative open drainage. The distal limb was bandaged and the horse treated with antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. Sepsis resolved and the horse made a gradual return to ful...
Patterson-Kane JC, Parry DA, Goodship AE, Firth EC.One of the current concepts with regard to equine superficial digital flexor tendonitis is that cumulative subclinical microscopic damage weakens the structure, predisposing the tendon to partial or complete rupture. This microtrauma is likely to affect the waveform or crimp of the collagen fibrils, which are the units of tensile strength. Collagen fibril crimp morphology characteristics were determined in superficial digital flexor tendons of 18 horses presented for necropsy. Horses were separated into exercised (n = 9) and non-exercised groups (n = 9), based on recent function. Five of the e...
Wang YX, Kotlikoff MI.We investigated the muscarinic activation of Ca(2+)-activated Cl- currents [ICl(Ca)] in voltage-clamped equine tracheal myocytes. The threshold of cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) required for activation of ICl(Ca) was 202 +/- 22 nM, and full activation of the current occurred at 771 +/- 31 nM. Hexahydro-sila-difenidol (M3 antagonist) inhibited the methacholine-induced phasic [Ca2+]i increase and ICl(Ca) in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas methoctramine (M2 antagonist) only slightly attenuated the [Ca2+]i increase and ICl(Ca) (14.8 and 21.4%, respectively), consistent with ...
Vorstenbosch MA, Buchner HH, Savelberg HH, Schamhardt HC, Barneveld A.To study the role of head movements in lame horses. Methods: 11 Dutch Warmblood horses. Methods: A 2-segment 2-dimensional inverse dynamic model of trotting horses was developed: trunk and head/neck segment joined in a neck joint. Model input consisted of averaged segmental inertial properties and averaged kinematic data, taken from 11 horses, trotting on a treadmill (3.5 m/s) in 3 conditions of induced lameness: sound, mildly lame, and moderately lame. Dynamic and static effects were analyzed. Results: Dynamic effects were found to be considerably larger than static effects. In the moderately...
Breit S, Stiglhuber A, König HE.Striking synovial structures were taken and their surface was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Depending where the probes were taken from, the stratum synovial was arranged in a different way. The synovial intima seems to miss under the tendon of the long/commune extensor muscle, the collateral ligaments and the sesamoidean collateral ligaments. That is why the subsynovial tissue forms the superficial layer. The surface of the probes taken sidewards to the tendon of the extensor muscle and of the synovial fold, which is situated between the metacarpus/metatarsus and the proximal p...
Sonea IM, Wilson DV, Bowker RM, Robinson NE.Tachykinins, of which substance P (SP) is the prototype, are neuropeptides which are widely distributed in the nervous systems. In the equine gut, SP is present in enteric nerves and is a powerful constrictor of enteric muscle; in other species, SP is also known to have potent vasodilatory and pro-inflammatory effects. The specific effects of SP are determined by the subtype of receptor present in the target tissue. There are 3 known subtypes of tachykinin receptors, distinguished by their relative affinities for SP and other tachykinins. The distribution of SP binding sites in the equine pelv...
Essén-Gustavsson B, Ronéus N, Pösö AR.Histochemical and biochemical analyses were performed on muscle biopsies obtained after racing from the gluteus muscle of 18 standardbred trotters. Fibre type composition and enzyme activities varied among the horses. The percentage of type IIB fibres showed a positive correlation to the lactate dehydrogenase activity and a negative correlation to the citrate synthase activity. ATP concentrations in whole muscle after racing showed a negative correlation to both lactate and IMP concentrations. Within individual fibres, ATP concentrations varied markedly, with some type II fibres having values ...
Les CM, Keyak JH, Stover SM, Taylor KT.Three-dimensional finite element (FE) models of the left metacarpi of five adult horses were developed from quantitative computed tomography data, using the algorithms of Keyak et al. (1990, J Biomed. Engng 12, 389-397). The metacarpi were then equipped with 12 rosette strain gauges and loaded non-destructively in a mechanical testing machine. The bones and the models were loaded in axial compression, with the load evenly distributed across the distal row of carpal bones, and with a point load placed mediad to the sagittal midline, to a load equivalent to three times body weight (-15 kN); and ...
van Nieuwstadt RA, Henricks PA, Hajer R, van der Meer van Roomen WA, Breukink HJ, Nijkamp FP.This study was undertaken to assess the importance of muscarinic receptor subtypes in equine airway disease. Smooth muscle strips from the mid-cervical portion of the trachea of horses were placed in tissue baths and isometric contractile force was measured. Active force was measured in response to metacholine and the selective muscarinic receptor agonists McN-A-343 (M1-selective) and pilocarpine (M2-selective) in cumulative concentrations (10(-9)M through 10(-3)M), with and without preincubation with three or four concentrations of the selective muscarinic receptor antagonists pirenzepine (M1...
Siciliano PD, Parker AL, Lawrence LM.The effect of vitamin E intake on indicators of muscle integrity was studied in exercised horses. Nineteen horses were blocked by sex and then assigned to one of three diets: no supplemental vitamin E (BASAL), BASAL plus 80 IU of supplemental vitamin E/kg DM (80), or BASAL plus 300 IU of supplemental vitamin E/kg DM (300). The BASAL diet contained less than 44 IU of vitamin E/kg DM, but it was adequate in all other nutrients. During the 90-d treatment period, horses were exercised 5 d/wk; in addition, serum and middle gluteal muscle alpha-tocopherol concentrations were measured at 0, 30, and 9...
Martinelli MJ, Kuriashkin IV, Carragher BO, Clarkson RB, Baker GJ.Magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine the equine metacarpophalangeal joint. Thirty-two saggital images generated by partial volume imaging were transferred to a computer for three-dimensional reconstruction and analysis. All the tissues constituting the metacarpophalangeal joint were readily identified. The most significant increase finding regarded the soft tissues on the palmar aspect of the metacarpophalangeal joint and their interactions with the proximal sesamoid bones. The equine metacarpophalangeal joint has not previously been evaluated using 3-dimensional imaging software.
Johnston C, Drevemo S, Roepstorff L.This study investigated the kinematics and kinetics of the carpus during the stance phase. Five Standardbred horses trotted on a treadmill at 8.9 m/s. The kinematics of the horses were filmed and hoof reaction forces (HRF) were recorded. The carpus was overextended throughout most of the stance. There were 2 periods of overextension, a more rapid period in the beginning of the stance and second directly following the first period. Maximal overextension occurred slightly before the second minimum of the braking horizontal HRF. The metacarpal and antebrachial segments rotated counter-clockwise f...
Galisteo AM, Cano MR, Morales JL, Miró F, Vivo J, Agüera E.The aim of this study was to analyse the biokinematic alterations caused by an induced lameness in the right forelimb of Dutch Warmblood (DWB) horses using a system of computer-aided normal videography. Five mature DWB were recorded with a videocamera (frame rate 1/25) from a lateral view before and after an induced lameness. Before videotaping, passive markers were placed on the skin, over easily identifiable anatomical references to determine the joint angles in the forelimb (always on the flexor side). Lameness was induced using special horseshoes. The lameness was evident at the trot and m...
Madigan J, Costa L, Nieves S, Horgan M, Weberg K, Aleman M.Entrapped, stranded and recumbent equids often require emergency rescue. The success of the rescue is often affected by secondary injuries from struggling of the horse to rise and from injury secondary to attempted rescue by pulling on the head or limbs of the equid. Therefore, having ready access to simplified rescue equipment which can be easily applied would be desirable. The devices currently available for these manipulations are not always readily available at the site of an incident. Here, we describe and illustrate the step-by-step use of a Loops System consisting of 183 cm round slings...
Shmalberg J, Xie H.Acupuncture exerts diffuse analgesic effects through the release of endogenous opioids and other locally and centrally acting mediators. Successful therapeutic interventions for various musculoskeletal conditions in horses are well documented, and acupuncture may significantly enhance performance. The use of acupuncture is specifically supported in treating nonsurgical gastrointestinal disorders, in which specific techniques can alter motility and contribute to visceral analgesia. This article describes the use of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for equine reproductive management and f...
Davies HM, Merritt JS.Bone strains quantify skeletal effects of specific exercise and hence assist in designing training programmes to avoid bone injury. Objective: To test whether compressive strains increase on the lateral surface of the inside third metacarpal bone (McIII) and the medial surface of the outside McIII in a turn. Methods: Rosette strain gauges on dorsal, medial and lateral surfaces of the midshaft of the left McIII in 2 Thoroughbred geldings were recorded simultaneously during turning at the walk on a bitumen surface. Results: Medial surface: Compression peaks were larger in the outside limb. Tensi...
Jackson M, Geyer H, Fürst A.This study concerns the vestigial metacarpal and metatarsal bones, so called splint bones. The soft tissues, which stabilize the splint bones were carefully examined. The palmar metacarpal/plantar metatarsal fascia, the metacarpal/metatarsal interosseous ligaments and the fibres, which exit distally from the splint bone, were examined in depth. Cadaveric distal limbs were collected from 5 slaughtered or euthanized horses. The legs were examined both, microscopically and macroscopically. The palmar metacarpal/plantar metatarsal fascia is a very stable structure, which connects the splint bone w...
Verde C, Ferrante M, Simpson MI, Babusci M, Broglia G, Landoni MF.Twelve healthy horses were subject to the monoioidoacetate (MIA) carpitis model, which was allowed to develop for 7 days. The horses were then randomly divided into two groups. Group A (control) received an intramuscular injection of normal saline every 4 days for a total of seven injections while group B received 500 mg of a PSGAG (SYNTEX CSY36) intramuscularly every 4 days for seven treatments. Efficacy of the PSGAG was evaluated by three clinical outcomes: lameness score, carpal circumference and maximum carpal flexion. Clinical outcomes were measured on days -8 (previous to carpitis induct...
Riemersma DJ, Lammertink JL.A calibration method is presented by which the signals of mercury-in-silastic strain gauges (MISS), implanted in the tendons of in vitro loaded equine hindlegs, were converted to tendon loads. The relationships between MISS-signals and tendon loads were obtained from tensile-force tests applied to the tendons. Special attention was paid to the correction of the MISS-signals for amplitude-shifts resulting from internal repositioning of the MISS after tendon isolation and temperature differences. Shift corrections equivalent to tendon strains up to 2.8% were necessary in the in vitro experiment....
Kis J, Rózsa L, Husvéth F, Mezőszentgyörgyi D, Kovács S, Bakos Z, Zsolnai A, Anton I.The g.66493737C/T polymorphism of the myostatin gene (MSTN) majorly influences muscle fiber composition and best race distance of Thoroughbreds. Thus, a better understanding of this process may lead to superior genetic exploitation for maximizing Thoroughbred athletic potential. Our objective is to investigate whether myostatin genotypes are associated with muscular development and cardiac variables of Thoroughbreds. Echocardiography and muscular ultrasonography were performed on three groups having C/C, C/T, and T/T genotypes, respectively. Each group consisted of 22 animals. Homogeneity of v...
Vacek JR, Ford TS, Honnas CM.Communications between the femoropatellar, medial femorotibial, and lateral femorotibial joints were studied, using fresh equine cadaver specimens. A total of 90 specimens from 45 horses were used. Horses were randomly assigned to 3 groups with 15 horses/group. Each group was assigned an injection site (femoropatellar joint, medial femorotibial joint, or lateral femorotibial joint), and red latex was injected into the respective location of each joint in each group. Immediately after injection, the joints were flexed and extended 100 times. The stifles were frozen in slight flexion, then cut i...
Wang ZW, Yu MF, Robinson NE.Muscarinic autoreceptors on horse airway cholinergic nerves were studied by examining the effects of muscarinic receptor antagonists on electrical field stimulation (EFS)-induced acetylcholine (ACh) release in trachealis preparations. All the antagonists including atropine (non-selective), pirenzepine (M1-selective), AF-DX 116 (M2-selective), and hexahydrosiladifenidol (M3-selective) augmented ACh release concentration-dependently. The augmentation was not due to displacement of ACh molecules from tissue receptors into the bath liquid because incubation with atropine after EFS had no influence...
Card CE, Manning ST.Fetal maturation and equine parturition are not understood fully, although the adrenal and thyroid glands are thought to have regulatory roles. Thyroidectomized equine fetuses undergo prolonged gestation, and spontaneous diseases such as thyroid musculoskeletal disease and gestational fescue endophyte exposure are also associated with delayed parturition. Thyroid musculoskeletal disease is characterized by: histologically hyperplastic thyroid glands, chondro-osseous dysplasia and dysgenesis, angular limb deformity, low resting thyroxine and triiodothyronine concentrations, and lack of response...
Rose NS, Northrop AJ, Brigden CV, Martin JH.The aim of this study was to quantify the effects of two different 8-week stretching regimes on stride length (SL) and range of motion (ROM) in the equine trot. Eighteen horses were divided into three matched groups: a 6 days/week stretching regime (6DSR), a 3 days/week stretching regime (3DSR) and a control no-stretching regime (NSR). SL and ROM data were collected at weeks 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 for trot in-hand. Stretching had no significant effect on SL. A number of significant differences were found in joint ROM between treatments in the shoulder, stifle and hock, suggesting some negative biome...
Engeli E, Yeager AE, Erb HN, Haussler KK.The purpose of this study was to establish the normal percutaneous ultrasonographic appearance of anatomic structures within the equine sacroiliac region. Percutaneous ultrasonography was performed in a cranial-to-caudal direction in 10 normal adult live horses. The following structures were examined in detail: supraspinous ligament, lumbar and sacral spinous processes, thoracolumbar fascia and its caudal extension, tubera sacralia, ilial wings, dorsal and lateral portions of the dorsal sacroiliac ligaments, lateral part of the sacrum, and the lateral sacral crest. After ultrasonography, all a...
Knych HK, McKemie DS, Kass PH, Stanley SD, Blea J.Ketoprofen is an anti-inflammatory drug that is commonly administered to racehorses for the alleviation of musculoskeletal pain and inflammation. This study represents a comprehensive examination of the metabolism (in vivo and in vitro), pharmacokinetics and ex vivo pharmacodynamics, of ketoprofen in horses. The in vitro metabolism as well as specific enzymes responsible for metabolism was determined by incubating liver microsomes and recombinant CYP450 and UGT enzymes with ketoprofen. For the in vivo portion, 15 horses were administered a single intravenous dose of 2.2-mg/kg ketoprofen. Blood...
Pál Z, Bodó G.Allograft arthroplasty is a promising cartilage-resurfacing technique. A 14-year-old horse was diagnosed with a medial femoral condyle subchondral bone cyst. Allografts were harvested from a young donor animal and implanted to fill the cyst cavity. A visual assessment of the surgical site was possible during follow-up arthroscopy. In addition to a desirable gliding surface and a good adaptation of the grafts, fibrillation of the cranial ligament of the medial meniscus was noted and debrided. The recipient horse became sound four months after follow-up surgery with a high level of owner satisfa...
Journée SL, Journée HL, Berends HI, Reed SM, Bergmann W, de Bruijn CM, Delesalle CJG.So far, only transcranial motor evoked potentials (MEP) of the extensor carpi radialis and tibialis cranialis have been documented for diagnostic evaluation in horses. These allow for differentiating whether lesions are located in either the thoraco-lumbar region or in the cervical myelum and/or brain. Transcranial trapezius MEPs further enable to distinguish between spinal and supraspinal located lesions. No normative data are available. It is unclear whether transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are interchangeable modalities. Unassigned: To pr...
Hall LW, Aziz HA, Groenendyk J, Keates H, Rex MA.To investigate activity in respiratory muscles, insulated wire electrodes were used to record electromyographic activity in the costal diaphragm and in the intercostal, serratus ventralis, internal abdominal oblique, transversalis and rectus abdominis muscles in conscious horses and in the same animals when anaesthetised. Electromyographic activity was related to respiratory phases as recorded by a stethograph around the chest wall. The costal diaphragm showed tonic and inspiratory activity in both conscious and anaesthetised animals. The principal muscle actively involved in expiration was th...
Wintz LR, Lavagnino M, Gardner KL, Sedlak AM, Arnoczky SP.To describe the effect of systemically administered oxytetracycline on the viscoelastic properties of rat tail tendon fascicles (TTfs) to provide a mechanistic rationale for pharmacological treatment of flexural limb deformities in foals. Methods: TTfs from ten 1-month-old and ten 6-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods: 5 rats in each age group were administered oxytetracycline (50 mg/kg, IP, q 24 h) for 4 days. The remaining 5 rats in each age group served as untreated controls. Five days after initiation of oxytetracycline treatment, TTfs were collected and their viscoelastic properti...
Urschel KL, McKenzie EC.Skeletal muscle comprises 40% to 55% of mature body weight in horses, and its mass is determined largely by rates of muscle protein synthesis. In order to support exercise, appropriate energy sources are essential: glucose can support both anaerobic and aerobic exercise, whereas fat can only be metabolized aerobically. Following exercise, ingestion of nonfiber carbohydrates and protein can aid muscle growth and recovery. Muscle glycogen replenishment is slow in horses, regardless of dietary interventions. Several heritable muscle disorders, including type 1 and 2 polysaccharide storage myopath...
Selberg K, Ross M.Nuclear scintigraphy is a mainstay of diagnostic imaging and has preserved its relevance in the imaging of acute and chronic trauma. It is particularly useful in the evaluation of athletic injuries. Pitfalls of interpretation, false negatives and false positives exist as with many imaging modalities. Synthesis of physical exam findings, lameness evaluation and, when possible, diagnostic analgesia in combination with nuclear scintigraphy imaging findings, will allow for the most information to be applied to the patient's clinical problem.
Quiney LE, Ireland JL, Dyson SJ.There is good correlation between increased radiopharmaceutical uptake anywhere in the feet of sports or leisure horses and the presence of foot pain. However, low sensitivity of scintigraphy for identifying lesions contributing to foot pain as determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been reported. The aim of this retrospective, cross-sectional, analytical study was to assess the accuracy of scintigraphy for identifying the cause(s) of foot pain, using MRI as the reference standard. Sports and leisure horses that underwent both skeletal scintigraphy and MRI of the front feet between...
Stephen JO, White NA, McCormick WH, Cowles RR, Corley KT.To identify the types of injuries sustained by horses that competed in steeplechase races and determine the prevalence of and risk factors for those injuries. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 2,680 horses that competed in various types of steeplechase races from 1996 through 2000. Methods: Data regarding races; environment; equipment problems; the number of horses that entered, started, and finished races; the number of riders that fell; and the number of horses that were slowed or stopped by the rider, ran off the course, fell, and sustained injuries or physical abnormalities during races...
Walsh R, Smith MRW, Wright IM.Osteochondral fragmentation of the dorsoproximal margin of the proximal phalanx is commonly recognised in racing Thoroughbreds. Frequency distribution has been documented in racing Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses in the USA and in European Warmbloods but no data have been published from the UK. Concurrent intra-articular soft tissue lesions and radiographic accuracy of fragment distribution in racing Thoroughbreds have not previously been reported. Objective: To document frequency distribution of dorsoproximal fragmentation of the proximal phalanx in a UK population of racing Thoroughbreds an...
Sedacca K, Samuelson D, Lewis P.To investigate the uveoscleral (US) pathway in the normal eyes of four domestic spp.: the cat, pig, cow and horse by examining the comparative anatomical structure of anterior US pathway. Methods: Four cats, ten pigs, four cows, eight horses. Methods: Formalin-preserved specimens from anterior uveas of the cat, pig, cow and horse were embedded and serially sectioned sagittally and tangentially and stained with H&E, Masson's trichrome, smooth muscle actin immunolabel, or elastin stain. Results: Spaces between the endings of the outer anterior ciliary body musculature (CBM) formed avenues fo...
Cano MR, Miró F, Diz AM, Agüera E, Galisteo AM.The aim of this study was to determine the influence of a 10-month training programme on the linear, temporal and angular characteristics of the fore and hind limbs at the trot in the Andalusian horse, using standard computer-aided videography. Sixteen male Andalusian horses were observed before and after training. Six strides were randomly selected for analysis in each horse and linear, temporal and angular parameters were calculated for fore and hind limbs. The training programme used here produced significant changes in kinematic parameters, such as shortening of stride length, and increase...
Pearson EG, Snyder SP, Saulez MN.The medical records of eight horses with histological evidence of myodegeneration of the masseter muscles were examined. While they were alive their most common clinical signs had included difficulty in eating or opening their mouths, weight loss, difficulty in moving, and noticeable atrophy of the masseter muscles. The serum activities of muscle enzymes were abnormally high in all of the horses. Whole blood and/or liver selenium and vitamin E concentrations were less than the reference ranges in some of the horses. The lesions varied with the stage of the disease and consisted of swelling and...
Vinardell T, David F, Galezowski AM, Ali M, Qasim M, Massie SL, McCrae P, Filho S, Leguillette R.Swimming is used for rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries and for conditioning to improve equine fitness. However, there are anecdotal reports that suggest that tethered swimming can induce epistaxis, likely secondary to exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). The objective of this observational, prospective study was to investigate if EIPH occurs during intensive free-swimming training sessions (5 × 70m) using 15 endurance horses. On tracheo-bronchoscopic evaluations following swimming, low grade mucus scores were observed, but no tracheal blood was observed. Bronchoalveolar la...
May-Davis S, Vermeulen Z, Brown WY.The 55-million-year history of equine phylogeny has been well-documented from the skeletal record; however, this is less true for the soft tissue structures that are now vestigial in modern horse. A recent study reported that two ligamentous structures resembling functional interosseous muscle II and IV were evident in Dutch Konik horses. The current study investigates this finding and compares it to members of the genus Equus to identify either a breed anomaly or functional primitive trait. Distal limbs (n = 574) were dissected from four species of Equus; E. caballus, E. asinus, E. przewalski...
Ducharme NG, Horney FD, Hulland TJ, Partlow GD, Schnurr D, Zutrauen K.The purpose of this project was to attempt restoration of abduction of a recently experimentally denervated left dorsal cricoarytenoid muscle by implanting a transected nerve-end into the paralyzed muscle. In six ponies the cut end of the second cervical nerve was implanted into a slit made in the left dorsal cricoarytenoid muscle. The nerve end was secured in place with one 5-0 polypropylene suture connecting the epineurium to the epimysium. The left recurrent laryngeal nerve was transected during this procedure. All six ponies showed signs of complete left laryngeal hemiplegia immediately af...
Siewert C, Böttcher A, Hellige M, Beyerbach M, von Rautenfeld DB, Seifert H.This study tested for the first time an optoelectronic device (Perometer*) measuring limb volume of horses. An analysis of its application was performed regarding the influence of different types of physical exercise on the volume of the extremities. 40 horses were divided into four groups often horses, each group being exposed to exercise, differing in kind and duration of lunging, horse-ridden and riderless. The volume measurement was performed by determining the inactive value (I) after a twelfe-hour standing period, the load value (II) immediately after exercise and recovery value (III) on...
Manfredi JM, Jacob S, Norton E.Endocrine disorders are associated with joint pain and tendon injury in humans, but the effects in the horse are only starting to be understood. Similar patterns of clinical signs and injury appear to affect horses and humans for both orthopedic and endocrine disorders, supporting the use of a one-health approach to tackle these issues. In this Currents in One Health, we will discuss common equine endocrinopathies, current testing recommendations, dietary management, genetic predispositions, and endocrine disorders' effects on performance. Our aim is to use a one-health lens to describe curren...
