Computer-assisted three-dimensional gait analysis of amphotericin-induced carpal lameness in horses.

The research article presents a study about using three-dimensional computer-assisted image analysis to objectively evaluate lameness in horses. Lameness is induced by Amphotericin-B, and the movements of six healthy horses are analyzed before and after the induction at various time intervals.

Methodology

• To study and capture the motion of clinically normal horses, they were made to trot at a speed of 4 meters per second on a treadmill. This process was conducted before inducing lameness and again on days 9, 16, and 23 after the lameness was induced.
• Amphotericin-B was applied to cause lameness in the horses. Phenylbutazone and butorphanol tartrate were also administered to the horses to ease any discomfort.
• The movement of the trotting horses was captured by four 60-Hz cameras placed symmetrically around the treadmill. Retro-reflective spheres were attached to the horses to aid with imaging. The cameras were set to capture 6 seconds worth of images.
• The images captured were fed into a video-based digitizer and computer workstation where four sets of two-dimensional data were converted into a single set of three-dimensional data.

Analysis and Conclusion

• After generating the three-dimensional data, the researchers used a two-way ANOVA to analyze the impact of lameness on the horse’s motion.
• The Student-Newman-Keul’s test was used to assess differences between the means. They specifically looked at variables such as head excursions and withers excursions, stride length swing phase, stance phase, forelimb abduction, and carpal and fetlock ranges of motion.
• The study found significant increases in head and withers excursions during the sound forelimb support phase in all lameness measurement periods and a significant decrease in head excursion (but not withers excursion) during the lame forelimb support phase in all lameness measurement periods.
• The research did not find consistent characterization of lameness in stride length swing phase, stance phase, forelimb abduction, and carpal and fetlock ranges of motion.
• The study concluded that three-dimensional computer-assisted image analysis could be used effectively for objective lameness evaluation in horses. The research also identified that head and withers excursions were the most consistent variables for assessing equine carpal lameness.