Development of a quantitative multivariable radiographic method to evaluate anatomic changes associated with laminitis in the forefeet of donkeys.

The research article is about the development of a quantitative method, based on a range of radiographic measurements, that objectively diagnoses anatomical changes in the forefeet of donkeys due to laminitis.

Research Methodology

• An experimental cohort of 170 donkeys (85 with and 85 without forelimb laminitis) was used to collect baseline data on the types of anatomic changes associated with laminitis. A separate cohort of 44 diseased and 18 healthy donkeys was used for validation purposes.
• For every donkey, radiographic images of a weight-bearing forelimb were taken from a lateromedial view. To ensure the validity of the baseline data, images from 11 laminitic donkeys and 2 nonlaminitic donkeys were excluded due to motion artifacts.
• From these images, 19 measurements related to various anatomic features of both laminitic and non-laminitic donkey feet were analyzed with a newly designed application of multivariate statistical techniques.

Findings and Results

• The data was used to establish consistent and accurate statistical rules for diagnosing anatomic changes within the forefeet of laminitic donkeys. Component 1 score, form statistical analyses, was used to assess the severity and extent of anatomic change.
• It was observed that scores ≤ -3.5 indicated severe anatomic changes. In contrast, scores within the range of -2.0 to 0.0 indicated minor changes. Nonlaminitic donkeys with a Component 1 score ranging from 0.5 to 1.0 were considered at-risk for developing laminitis.

Conclusions and Implications

• From the results, it was concluded that the novel radiographic procedures can be effectively used to identify, assess, and monitor anatomic changes related to laminitis.
• These methods could also be used in screening assessments to facilitate early detection of mild anatomic changes, as well as help categorize donkeys that are at risk of developing laminitis.