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The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice2010; 26(1); 141-153; doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2009.12.006

Clinical presentation, diagnosis, and prognosis of chronic laminitis in North America.

Abstract: Chronic laminitis involves laminar morphologic changes resulting in digital collapse and can vary greatly in its clinical manifestation depending on duration, severity of lameness, and stability of the distal phalanx/hoof wall interface. Accurate assessment of the whole patient is mandatory and consideration must be given to signalment, occupation, and owner expectations, as well as history and etiology, which often predict the broad course of the disease. Diagnosis is made via physical examination with adjunctive serial radiographic evaluation and possibly venography. Eventual functionality of the foot is determined by structural integrity, which is dictated by the degree of morphologic damage of the soft tissue and bone architecture of the foot. Structures involved include the digital vasculature, the laminar/hoof wall interface, and the distal phalanx. Patient outcome is largely determined by the degree of instability between the distal phalanx and hoof wall, and the ultimate prognosis is further influenced by owner expectation.
Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Publication Date: 2010-04-13 PubMed ID: 20381743DOI: 10.1016/j.cveq.2009.12.006Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 study is primarily about understanding chronic laminitis, a common and debilitating hoof disease in horses. It focuses on its diverse clinical manifestations, methods for diagnosis, and factors impacting the prognosis, while considering the various influences on the disease course such as animal specifics, occupation, and owner expectations.

Understanding Chronic Laminitis

  • The study zeros in on chronic laminitis, a disease in horses that causes structural changes in the hooves leading to severe lameness or inability to move properly.
  • The disease manifests differently depending on its duration and severity, and the stability of the distal phalanx or last bone in the leg and the hoof wall.

The Importance of Holistic Assessment

  • Accurate assessment of the animal suffering from laminitis requires a holistic approach. Aspects like the horse’s age, breed, diet, occupation, and the owner’s expectations are important.
  • Understanding the history and origin of the disease can provide insights into the possible progression of the condition.

Diagnosis of Chronic Laminitis

  • Diagnosis of chronic laminitis involves a thorough physical examination of the horse, which is then supplemented by serial radiographic evaluation or repetitive imaging using X-rays.
  • In some cases, venography, a procedure that visualizes veins after injection of a radiopaque substance, may also be used.

Structural Integrity and Prognosis

  • The future usability of the horse’s foot mainly depends on its structural integrity, which in turn relies on the extent of damage inflicted on the soft tissue and bone architecture of the foot because of the disease.
  • The structures typically impacted by chronic laminitis involve the blood vessels of the foot, the junction between the hoof and bone, and the distal phalanx.
  • The outcome for the patient largely hinges upon the resultant instability between the last bone in the leg and the horse’s hoof wall.
  • Owner’s expectations and ability to manage the condition also significantly influence the prognosis.

Cite This Article

APA
Hunt RJ, Wharton RE. (2010). Clinical presentation, diagnosis, and prognosis of chronic laminitis in North America. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract, 26(1), 141-153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cveq.2009.12.006

Publication

The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice
ISSN: 1558-4224
NlmUniqueID: 8511904
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 26
Issue: 1
Pages: 141-153

Researcher Affiliations

Hunt, Robert J
  • Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, 4250 Iron Works Pike, Lexington, KY 40511-8412, USA. rhunt@hagyard.com
Wharton, Robin E

    MeSH Terms

    • Animals
    • Chronic Disease
    • Diagnosis, Differential
    • Disease Progression
    • Foot Diseases / diagnostic imaging
    • Foot Diseases / pathology
    • Foot Diseases / veterinary
    • Hoof and Claw / blood supply
    • Hoof and Claw / diagnostic imaging
    • Hoof and Claw / pathology
    • Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging
    • Horse Diseases / pathology
    • Horses
    • Inflammation / diagnostic imaging
    • Inflammation / pathology
    • Inflammation / veterinary
    • Prognosis
    • Radiography
    • Severity of Illness Index

    Citations

    This article has been cited 7 times.
    1. Ribitsch I, Oreff GL, Jenner F. Regenerative Medicine for Equine Musculoskeletal Diseases. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jan 19;11(1).
      doi: 10.3390/ani11010234pubmed: 33477808google scholar: lookup
    2. Meier A, McGree J, Klee R, Preuß J, Reiche D, de Laat M, Sillence M. The application of a new laminitis scoring method to model the rate and pattern of improvement from equine endocrinopathic laminitis in a clinical setting. BMC Vet Res 2021 Jan 7;17(1):16.
      doi: 10.1186/s12917-020-02715-7pubmed: 33413384google scholar: lookup
    3. Nocera I, Aliboni B, Ben David L, Gracia-Calvo LA, Sgorbini M, Citi S. Radiographic and Venographic Appearance of Healthy and Laminitic Feet in Amiata Donkeys. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:601665.
      doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.601665pubmed: 33409297google scholar: lookup
    4. Yang Q, Pinto VMR, Duan W, Paxton EE, Dessauer JH, Ryan W, Lopez MJ. In vitro Characteristics of Heterogeneous Equine Hoof Progenitor Cell Isolates. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019;7:155.
      doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00155pubmed: 31355191google scholar: lookup
    5. Al-Agele R, Paul E, Taylor S, Watson C, Sturrock C, Drakopoulos M, Atwood RC, Rutland CS, Menzies-Gow N, Knowles E, Elliott J, Harris P, Rauch C. Physics of animal health: on the mechano-biology of hoof growth and form. J R Soc Interface 2019 Jun 28;16(155):20190214.
      doi: 10.1098/rsif.2019.0214pubmed: 31238833google scholar: lookup
    6. de Laat MA, Sillence MN, Reiche DB. Phenotypic, hormonal, and clinical characteristics of equine endocrinopathic laminitis. J Vet Intern Med 2019 May;33(3):1456-1463.
      doi: 10.1111/jvim.15419pubmed: 30697823google scholar: lookup
    7. Morgan RA, Keen JA, Walker BR, Hadoke PW. Vascular Dysfunction in Horses with Endocrinopathic Laminitis. PLoS One 2016;11(9):e0163815.
      doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163815pubmed: 27684374google scholar: lookup
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