FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
American journal of veterinary research1989; 50(7); 1089-1095;

Application of a Hall-effect transducer for measurement of tendon strains in horses.

Abstract: Custom-designed Hall-effect strain sensors (HES) were implanted surgically onto the superficial digital flexor tendons of the forelimbs of 4 adult Thoroughbreds. Strains were recorded at various gaits, using a portable amplifer and FM cassette recorder. Strain calculations used the original length (L) as the HES position with the forelimb in the relaxed neutral position during anesthesia. A characteristic deflection in the strain cycle recording was confirmed to correspond to initial hoof contact with the ground (heel strike) by simultaneous recording of weight bearing via a footswitch. Heel strike was used as the reference point to determine the magnitude of strain change during weight bearing and nonweight bearing under various conditions. The weight-bearing strains (heel strike to maximal strain) recorded in 2 horses (with a rider) were 3.1% and 7.6% at the walk, 6.5% and 10.1% at the trot, and 11.5% and 16.6% at the gallop. Strain rate during tendon loading at the gallop was approximately 200%/s. The magnitude of strain change during nonweight bearing (minimal strain to heel strike) was smaller than during weight bearing, but also increased with faster gaits. In 3 horses led at the walk and trot, modest increases in hoof angle (baseline 52 degrees) resulted in small increases in the magnitude of strain change during weight bearing at the trot, but the magnitude of strain change at the walk was not affected. Results of the study indicated that the HES can be successfully adapted to provide continuous strain measurement without subjective signs of discomfort or lameness in horses during or after instrumentation.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 1989-07-01 PubMed ID: 2774333
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article discusses a study aimed at measuring tendon strains in horses using Hall-effect strain sensors. The sensors record strain at various gaits and are adapted to be comfortable for the horses without causing any discernible physical discomfort or lameness during or after implementation.

Study and Procedure

  • The researchers conducted a study where they implanted a custom-designed Hall-effect strain sensor onto the superficial digital flexor tendons in the forelimbs of four adult Thoroughbreds. The purpose of such sensor implementation was to measure and record the strain at various gaits.
  • The method to record strains involved the use of a portable amplifier and an FM cassette recorder. Strain calculations used the original length (denoted as ‘L’) which was marked when the horse’s forelimb was in a relaxed neutral position during anesthesia.
  • A significant part of the study was to accurately determine when the initial hoof contact with the ground occurred, also referred to as the heel strike. The identification of this phase was made by simultaneously recording weight-bearing via a footswitch.

Findings

  • The researchers were successful in using the characteristic deflection in the strain cycle recording to classify the heel strike. This established a reference point to measure the magnitude of strain change during weight bearing and nonweight-bearing conditions.
  • The study found that weight-bearing strains were much bigger than nonweight-bearing strains. For instance, the strains recorded in two horses with riders at the walk were 3.1% and 7.6%, and they respectively peaked to 11.5% and 16.6% at the gallop.
  • The rate of strain when the tendons endured loading at the gallop was approximately 200% per second.
  • The researchers also discovered a relationship between hoof angle and strain magnitude. Observations of three horses led at the walk and trot revealed modest increases in hoof angle (baseline 52 degrees), which resulted in minor increases in the magnitude of strain change during weight bearing at the trot. Interestingly, at the walk, no significant effect on the strain change was observed with changing hoof angle.

Conclusion

  • The study showed that Hall-effect strain sensors can be successfully used in horses to monitor and measure tendon strains effectively without causing any noticeable discomfort or lameness. The sensor technology proved to be an efficient way of recording strain under various conditions and gaits.

Cite This Article

APA
Stephens PR, Nunamaker DM, Butterweck DM. (1989). Application of a Hall-effect transducer for measurement of tendon strains in horses. Am J Vet Res, 50(7), 1089-1095.

Publication

American journal of veterinary research
ISSN: 0002-9645
NlmUniqueID: 0375011
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 50
Issue: 7
Pages: 1089-1095

Researcher Affiliations

Stephens, P R
  • Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square 19348.
Nunamaker, D M
    Butterweck, D M

      MeSH Terms

      • Animals
      • Forelimb
      • Gait
      • Hoof and Claw
      • Horses / physiology
      • Prostheses and Implants / veterinary
      • Stress, Mechanical
      • Tendons / physiology
      • Time Factors
      • Transducers

      Citations

      This article has been cited 23 times.
      1. Horan K, Coburn J, Kourdache K, Day P, Harborne D, Brinkley L, Carnall H, Hammond L, Peterson M, Millard S, Pfau T. Influence of Speed, Ground Surface and Shoeing Condition on Hoof Breakover Duration in Galloping Thoroughbred Racehorses. Animals (Basel) 2021 Sep 3;11(9).
        doi: 10.3390/ani11092588pubmed: 34573553google scholar: lookup
      2. Zhang S, Ju W, Chen X, Zhao Y, Feng L, Yin Z, Chen X. Hierarchical ultrastructure: An overview of what is known about tendons and future perspective for tendon engineering. Bioact Mater 2022 Feb;8:124-139.
        doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2021.06.007pubmed: 34541391google scholar: lookup
      3. Wagner FC, Reese S, Gerlach K, Böttcher P, Mülling CKW. Cyclic tensile tests of Shetland pony superficial digital flexor tendons (SDFTs) with an optimized cryo-clamp combined with biplanar high-speed fluoroscopy. BMC Vet Res 2021 Jun 25;17(1):223.
        doi: 10.1186/s12917-021-02914-wpubmed: 34172051google scholar: lookup
      4. Wagner FC, Gerlach K, Geiger SM, Gittel C, Böttcher P, Mülling CKW. Biplanar High-Speed Fluoroscopy of Pony Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon (SDFT)-An In Vivo Pilot Study. Vet Sci 2021 May 27;8(6).
        doi: 10.3390/vetsci8060092pubmed: 34072030google scholar: lookup
      5. Collier TA, Nash A, Birch HL, de Leeuw NH. Effect on the mechanical properties of type I collagen of intra-molecular lysine-arginine derived advanced glycation end-product cross-linking. J Biomech 2018 Jan 23;67:55-61.
        doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2017.11.021pubmed: 29254633google scholar: lookup
      6. Shearer T, Thorpe CT, Screen HRC. The relative compliance of energy-storing tendons may be due to the helical fibril arrangement of their fascicles. J R Soc Interface 2017 Aug;14(133).
        doi: 10.1098/rsif.2017.0261pubmed: 28794162google scholar: lookup
      7. Geburek F, Roggel F, van Schie HTM, Beineke A, Estrada R, Weber K, Hellige M, Rohn K, Jagodzinski M, Welke B, Hurschler C, Conrad S, Skutella T, van de Lest C, van Weeren R, Stadler PM. Effect of single intralesional treatment of surgically induced equine superficial digital flexor tendon core lesions with adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells: a controlled experimental trial. Stem Cell Res Ther 2017 Jun 5;8(1):129.
        doi: 10.1186/s13287-017-0564-8pubmed: 28583184google scholar: lookup
      8. Thorpe CT, Peffers MJ, Simpson D, Halliwell E, Screen HR, Clegg PD. Anatomical heterogeneity of tendon: Fascicular and interfascicular tendon compartments have distinct proteomic composition. Sci Rep 2016 Feb 4;6:20455.
        doi: 10.1038/srep20455pubmed: 26842662google scholar: lookup
      9. Thorpe CT, Godinho MSC, Riley GP, Birch HL, Clegg PD, Screen HRC. The interfascicular matrix enables fascicle sliding and recovery in tendon, and behaves more elastically in energy storing tendons. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2015 Dec;52:85-94.
        doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2015.04.009pubmed: 25958330google scholar: lookup
      10. Takahashi T, Mukai K, Ohmura H, Aida H, Hiraga A. In vivo measurements of flexor tendon and suspensory ligament forces during trotting using the thoroughbred forelimb model. J Equine Sci 2014;25(1):15-22.
        doi: 10.1294/jes.25.15pubmed: 24834009google scholar: lookup
      11. Thorpe CT, Riley GP, Birch HL, Clegg PD, Screen HR. Fascicles from energy-storing tendons show an age-specific response to cyclic fatigue loading. J R Soc Interface 2014 Mar 6;11(92):20131058.
        doi: 10.1098/rsif.2013.1058pubmed: 24402919google scholar: lookup
      12. Rich T, Henderson LB, Becker DL, Cornell H, Patterson-Kane JC. Indicators of replicative damage in equine tendon fibroblast monolayers. BMC Vet Res 2013 Sep 11;9:180.
        doi: 10.1186/1746-6148-9-180pubmed: 24025445google scholar: lookup
      13. Han WM, Heo SJ, Driscoll TP, Smith LJ, Mauck RL, Elliott DM. Macro- to microscale strain transfer in fibrous tissues is heterogeneous and tissue-specific. Biophys J 2013 Aug 6;105(3):807-17.
        doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.06.023pubmed: 23931328google scholar: lookup
      14. Birch HL, Thorpe CT, Rumian AP. Specialisation of extracellular matrix for function in tendons and ligaments. Muscles Ligaments Tendons J 2013 Jan;3(1):12-22.
        doi: 10.11138/mltj/2013.3.1.012pubmed: 23885341google scholar: lookup
      15. Thorpe CT, Birch HL, Clegg PD, Screen HR. The role of the non-collagenous matrix in tendon function. Int J Exp Pathol 2013 Aug;94(4):248-59.
        doi: 10.1111/iep.12027pubmed: 23718692google scholar: lookup
      16. Dakin SG, Dudhia J, Werling NJ, Werling D, Abayasekara DR, Smith RK. Inflamm-aging and arachadonic acid metabolite differences with stage of tendon disease. PLoS One 2012;7(11):e48978.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048978pubmed: 23155437google scholar: lookup
      17. Spaas JH, Guest DJ, Van de Walle GR. Tendon regeneration in human and equine athletes: Ubi Sumus-Quo Vadimus (where are we and where are we going to)?. Sports Med 2012 Oct 1;42(10):871-90.
        doi: 10.1007/BF03262300pubmed: 22963225google scholar: lookup
      18. Thorpe CT, Udeze CP, Birch HL, Clegg PD, Screen HR. Specialization of tendon mechanical properties results from interfascicular differences. J R Soc Interface 2012 Nov 7;9(76):3108-17.
        doi: 10.1098/rsif.2012.0362pubmed: 22764132google scholar: lookup
      19. Stanley RL, Fleck RA, Becker DL, Goodship AE, Ralphs JR, Patterson-Kane JC. Gap junction protein expression and cellularity: comparison of immature and adult equine digital tendons. J Anat 2007 Sep;211(3):325-34.
        doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2007.00781.xpubmed: 17848160google scholar: lookup
      20. Birch HL. Tendon matrix composition and turnover in relation to functional requirements. Int J Exp Pathol 2007 Aug;88(4):241-8.
        doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2613.2007.00552.xpubmed: 17696905google scholar: lookup
      21. Garman R, Rubin C, Judex S. Small oscillatory accelerations, independent of matrix deformations, increase osteoblast activity and enhance bone morphology. PLoS One 2007 Jul 25;2(7):e653.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000653pubmed: 17653280google scholar: lookup
      22. Kostyuk O, Birch HL, Mudera V, Brown RA. Structural changes in loaded equine tendons can be monitored by a novel spectroscopic technique. J Physiol 2004 Feb 1;554(Pt 3):791-801.
        doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2003.054809pubmed: 14578479google scholar: lookup
      23. Choi Y, Parkin T. Risk factors for superficial digital flexor tendinopathy in Thoroughbred racehorses in South Korea (2015-2019). Equine Vet J 2026 Jan;58(1):31-39.
        doi: 10.1111/evj.14493pubmed: 40104935google scholar: lookup
      Subscribe to our newsletter
      Join 99,780 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.