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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Vet Sci / Clinical assessment and grading of back pain in horses.
Journal of veterinary science2020; 21(6); e82; doi: 10.4142/jvs.2020.21.e82

Clinical assessment and grading of back pain in horses.

Abstract: The clinical presentation of horses with back pain (BP) vary considerably with most horse's willingness to take part in athletic or riding purpose becoming impossible. However, there are some clinical features that are directly responsible for the loss or failure of performance. Objective: To investigate the clinical features of the thoracolumbar region associated with BP in horses and to use some of the clinical features to classify equine BP. Methods: Twenty-four horses comprised of 14 with BP and 10 apparently healthy horses were assessed for clinical abnormality that best differentiate BP from normal horses. The horses were then graded (0-5) using the degree of pain response, muscular hypertonicity, thoracolumbar joint stiffness and overall physical dysfunction of the horse. Results: The common clinical features that significantly differentiate horses with BP from non-BP were longissimus dorsi spasm at palpation (78.6%), paravertebral muscle stiffness (64.3%), resist lateral bending (64.3%), and poor hindlimb impulsion (85.7%). There were significantly (p < 0.05) higher scores for pain response to palpation, muscular hypertonicity, thoracolumbar joint stiffness and physical dysfunction among horses with BP in relation to non-BP. A significant relationship exists between all the graded abnormalities. Based on the cumulative score, horses with BP were categorized into mild, mild-moderate, moderate and severe cases. Conclusions: BP in horse can be differentiated by severity of pain response to back palpation, back muscle hypertonicity, thoracolumbar joint stiffness, physical dysfunctions and their cumulative grading score is useful in the assessment and categorization of BP in horses.
© 2020 The Korean Society of Veterinary Science.
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Publication Date: 2020-12-03 PubMed ID: 33263229PubMed Central: PMC7710460DOI: 10.4142/jvs.2020.21.e82Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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The research investigates the clinical manifestations of back pain in horses by assessing and grading the severity of the pain, and the paper introduces a classification system for equine back pain based on certain clinical features.

Objective and Methodology of the Study

  • The aim of this research was to identify clinical features associated with back pain in horses and develop a classification system for the severity of equine back pain.
  • Twenty-four horses, fourteen with back pain and ten healthy horses, were used for comparison and evaluation of the different clinical symptoms that differentiate horses with back pain from normal horses.
  • The severity of the pain was graded from zero to five based on pain response, muscular hypertonicity or excessive muscle tension, thoracolumbar joint stiffness, and overall physical dysfunction in horses.

Results of the Research

  • The research identified common clinical features that significantly differentiate horses with back pain from those without. These clinical features include longissimus dorsi muscle spasm upon touch (78.6% of horses with back pain), paravertebral muscle stiffness (64.3%), resistance to lateral bending (64.3%), and poor hindlimb impulsion or forward movement (85.7%).
  • Horses with back pain scored significantly higher for their pain response, muscular hypertonicity, thoracolumbar joint stiffness and physical dysfunction.
  • There was a significant correlation between all the graded abnormal clinical features.
  • The horses with back pain were classified into four categories: mild, mild-moderate, moderate and severe based on the cumulative score of these clinical features.

Conclusions of the Study

  • Back pain in horses can be differentiated and classified based on the severity of the clinical features such as the horse’s pain response, back muscle hypertonicity, thoracolumbar joint stiffness and other physical dysfunctions.
  • The cumulative grading score of these clinical features can be used as an effective tool to assess and categorize back pain in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Mayaki AM, Abdul Razak IS, Adzahan NM, Mazlan M, Rasedee A. (2020). Clinical assessment and grading of back pain in horses. J Vet Sci, 21(6), e82. https://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.2020.21.e82

Publication

Journal of veterinary science
ISSN: 1976-555X
NlmUniqueID: 100964185
Country: Korea (South)
Language: English
Volume: 21
Issue: 6
Pages: e82

Researcher Affiliations

Mayaki, Abubakar Musa
  • Department of Veterinary Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, P.M.B 2346, City Campus Complex, Sokoto, Nigeria.
Abdul Razak, Intan Shameha
  • Department of Veterinary Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. intanshameha@upm.edu.my.
Adzahan, Noraniza Mohd
  • Department of Farm and Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Mazlan, Mazlina
  • Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Rasedee, Abdullah
  • Department of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosis, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Back Pain / classification
  • Back Pain / diagnosis
  • Back Pain / veterinary
  • Female
  • Horse Diseases / classification
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Pain Measurement / methods
  • Pain Measurement / veterinary

Grant Funding

  • FRGS/1/2017/SKK15/UPM/02/2 / Malaysian Ministry of Education

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
  1. Pilati N, Pressanto MC, Palumbo Piccionello A, De Angelis Corvi F, Beccati F. Impinging and Overriding Spinous Processes in Horses: A Narrative Review. Animals (Basel) 2025 Sep 13;15(18).
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  2. Calle-González N, Rivero JL, Olivares J, Miró F, Argüelles D, Requena F, Munoz A. Assessing thermal changes in the equine thoracolumbar region following different capacitive-resistive electrical transfer protocols. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1570120.
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  3. Guedes JRB, Vendruscolo CP, Tokawa PKA, Carvalho AM, Johnson PJ, Faleiros RR. The Detection of Thoracolumbar Spine Injuries in Horses with Chronic Laminitis Using a Novel Clinical-Assessment Protocol and Ultrasonographic Examination. Animals (Basel) 2024 Apr 30;14(9).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14091364pubmed: 38731368google scholar: lookup
  4. Straticò P, Hattab J, Guerri G, Carluccio A, Bandera L, Celani G, Marruchella G, Varasano V, Petrizzi L. Behavioral Disorders in Mares with Ovarian Disorders, Outcome after Laparoscopic Ovariectomy: A Case Series. Vet Sci 2023 Jul 25;10(8).
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