Effect of laryngeal hemiplegia and laryngoplasty on airway flow mechanics in exercising horses.
Abstract: The effect of left laryngeal hemiplegia on airway flow mechanics in 5 exercising horses was examined, and the efficacy of surgical repair by prosthetic laryngoplasty was evaluated. Measurements of the upper airway flow mechanics were made with horses on a treadmill (incline 6.38 degrees) while standing (period A); walking at 1.3 m/s (period B); trotting at 2.6 m/s (period C); trotting at 4.3 m/s (period D); and standing after exercise (period E). Experiments were done on healthy horses before any surgical manipulation (control), at 10 days after left recurrent laryngeal neurectomy, and at least 14 days after prosthetic larynogoplasty. Increasing treadmill speed from period A to period D progressively increased heart rate, respiratory frequency, peak inspiratory flow, and peak expiratory flow, but inspiratory resistance and expiratory resistance remained unchanged. Neither left recurrent laryngeal neutrectomy nor prosthetic laryngoplasty affected heart rate, respiratory frequency, peak expiratory flow, or expiratory resistance when compared with those values at the control measurement periods. Left recurrent laryngeal neurectomy resulted in inspiratory flow limitation at peak inspiratory flow of approximately 25 L/s, and increased inspiratory resistance at periods D and E. Subsequent prosthetic laryngoplasty alleviated the flow limitation and reduced inspiratory resistance at measurement periods D and E.
Publication Date: 1986-01-01 PubMed ID: 3946898
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research investigates the effect of left laryngeal hemiplegia (half-paralysis of the voice box) on the breathing mechanics of exercising horses, and the effectiveness of a surgical remedy called prosthetic laryngoplasty. Detailed measurements were completed at different stages of physical effort and after executing surgical interventions.
Study Design
- The study was conducted using 5 healthy horses, observed under controlled conditions.
- The horses’ airway flow mechanics were measured while standing, walking, and trotting on a treadmill at various speeds. These measurements were repeated after the horses had cooled down following exercise.
Measurement Points and Surgical Interventions
- Measurements were taken three times: initially on the healthy horses (control), 10 days after the left recurrent laryngeal neurectomy surgery (cutting of the nerve that controls the larynx), and at least 14 days after prosthetic laryngoplasty surgery.
Results Analysis
- The study revealed increasing treadmill speed triggered proportional increases in heart rate, respiratory frequency, peak inspiratory flow, and peak expiratory flow. Inspiratory and expiratory resistance, however, remained unmodified.
- None of the surgeries had an effect on heart rate, respiratory frequency, peak expiratory flow, or expiratory resistance.
- The left recurrent laryngeal neurectomy surgery led to an impairment of the horses’ ability to draw breath at peak inspiratory flow of about 25 liters per second. It also heightened the inspiratory resistance at the final two measurement points.
- However, the prosthetic laryngoplasty procedure improved these adverse effects, reducing the limitations on the horse’s breathing capacity (inspiratory flow) and decreasing inspiratory resistance at the final two measurement stages.
Conclusion
- Therefore, this research demonstrated that while laryngeal hemiplegia complicates the airway flow mechanics of exercising horses, a surgical remedy such as prosthetic laryngoplasty can help mitigate these issues.
Cite This Article
APA
Derksen FJ, Stick JA, Scott EA, Robinson NE, Slocombe RF.
(1986).
Effect of laryngeal hemiplegia and laryngoplasty on airway flow mechanics in exercising horses.
Am J Vet Res, 47(1), 16-20.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horse Diseases / physiopathology
- Horses
- Larynx / surgery
- Physical Exertion
- Pulmonary Ventilation
- Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve / physiopathology
- Vocal Cord Paralysis / physiopathology
- Vocal Cord Paralysis / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Lean NE, Bertin FR, Ahern BJ. Influence of unilateral and bilateral vocal cordectomy on airflow across cadaveric equine larynges at different Rakestraw grades of arytenoid abduction. Vet Surg 2022 Aug;51(6):974-981.
- Grevemeyer B, Bogdanovic L, Canton S, St Jean G, Cercone M, Ducharme NG, Brown BN. Regenerative medicine approach to reconstruction of the equine upper airway. Tissue Eng Part A 2014 Apr;20(7-8):1213-21.
- Collins N, Milne E, Hahn C, Dixon P. Correlation of the Havemeyer endoscopic laryngeal grading system with histopathological changes in equine Cricoarytenoideus dorsalis muscles. Ir Vet J 2009 May 1;62(5):334-8.
- Rhee HS, Steel CM, Derksen FJ, Robinson NE, Hoh JF. Immunohistochemical analysis of laryngeal muscles in normal horses and horses with subclinical recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. J Histochem Cytochem 2009 Aug;57(8):787-800.
- Alsup JC, Greenfield CL, Hungerford LL, McKiernan BC, Whiteley HE. Comparison of unilateral arytenoid lateralization and ventral ventriculocordectomy for the treatment of experimentally induced laryngeal paralysis in dogs. Can Vet J 1997 May;38(5):287-93.
- Greenfield CL, Alsup JC, Hungerford LL, McKiernan BC. Bilateral recurrent laryngeal neurectomy as a model for the study of idiopathic canine laryngeal paralysis. Can Vet J 1997 Mar;38(3):163-7.
- Roethlisberger-Holm K, Roepstorff L, Obel N. A transtracheal catheter for recording the static tracheal pressure in the exercising horse. Acta Vet Scand 1995;36(4):461-73.
- Art T, Lekeux P. A critical assessment of pulmonary function testing in exercising ponies. Vet Res Commun 1988;12(1):25-39.
- Ducharme NG, Viel L, Partlow GD, Hulland TJ, Horney FD. Attempts to restore abduction of the paralyzed equine arytenoid cartilage. III. Nerve anastomosis. Can J Vet Res 1989 Apr;53(2):216-23.
- Ducharme NG, Horney FD, Partlow GD, Hulland TJ. Attempts to restore abduction of the paralyzed equine arytenoid cartilage. I. Nerve-muscle pedicle transplants. Can J Vet Res 1989 Apr;53(2):202-9.
- Tucker ML, Wilson DG, Bergstrom DJ, Carmalt JL. Comparison of treatments for equine laryngeal hemiplegia using computational fluid dynamic analysis in an equine head model. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1478511.
- Hardwick JL, Ahern BJ, Crawford KL, Allen KJ, Franklin SH. Yearling laryngeal function in Thoroughbreds that underwent a laryngoplasty differs from controls. Equine Vet J 2025 Mar;57(2):431-440.
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