Effects of sensor position on kinematic data obtained with an inertial sensor system during gait analysis of trotting horses.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of altering location of right forelimb and pelvic sensors on kinematic data obtained with a commonly used inertial sensor system during gait analysis of trotting horses. DESIGN Experimental study. ANIMALS 12 horses with mild to moderate lameness of at least 1 hind limb, with or without lameness of the forelimbs. PROCEDURES All horses were examined while trotting on a high-speed treadmill. The right forelimb sensor was tested at 3 anatomic locations in random order: dorsal midline and 2 cm medial and lateral to that midline. During another treadmill session, the pelvic sensor was tested at 5 anatomic locations in random order: dorsal midline, 2 cm to the right and left of midline, and 2 cm cranial and caudal to the tubera sacrale on the midline. Laterality of the pelvic sensor was analyzed in 2 ways: sensor toward the right or left and sensor toward or away from the lame or lamest hind limb. Maximum and minimum differences in head and pelvic motion and vector sum values were ranked and compared with values for the midline location by means of mixed-model ANOVA. RESULTS Altering the location of the right forelimb sensor by 2 cm medially or laterally had no significant effect on forelimb or hind limb kinematics. However, location of the pelvic sensor had a significant effect on minimum difference in pelvic motion, regardless of whether the data were analyzed by laterality (right vs left) or toward versus away from the lame hind limb. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results of this study indicated that a 2-cm change in the location of the pelvic sensor during kinematic gait analysis had a significant effect on hind limb kinematic data of the system used. Therefore, placement of this sensor needs to be anatomically accurate.
Publication Date: 2017-02-17 PubMed ID: 28207317DOI: 10.2460/javma.250.5.548Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article investigates how altering the position of sensors on a trotting horse’s right forelimb and pelvic region affects the data culled by a standard inertial sensor system during gait analysis. This study determines that a 2-centimeter location change for the pelvic sensor significantly impacts the hind limb kinematic data and emphasizes the importance of anatomically accurate sensor placement.
Methodology and Experimental Design
- The study involved 12 horses, each displaying mild to moderate lameness in at least one hind limb. Some subjects also showed forelimb lameness.
- Every horse was scrutinized while trotting on a high-speed treadmill. The researchers tested the right forelimb sensor at three different anatomic positions: the dorsal midline and 2 cm medial and lateral to it. The sequences of these positions were randomized for each horse.
- In a separate treadmill session, the pelvic sensor was also tested at five distinct anatomic locations, arranged randomly: the dorsal midline, 2 cm to the right and left of the midline, and 2 cm cranial and caudal to the sacral tubers on the midline.
- The pelvic sensor’s side orientation was measured in two ways: whether it leaned toward the right or left and whether it was positioned toward or away from the lame (or lamest) hind limb.
- The maximum and minimum differences in head and pelvic motion, as well as vector sum values, were ranked and compared with values for the midline location by means of mixed-model ANOVA (Analysis of Variance).
Results
- It was observed that a 2 cm medial or lateral shift in the right forelimb sensor’s location did not significantly affect either the forelimb or hind limb kinematics.
- On the other hand, the pelvic sensor’s location significantly impacted the minimal difference in pelvic motion. This finding held true irrespective of whether the data were analyzed by laterality (i.e., right versus left) or the direction toward or away from the lame hind limb.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance
- The research concluded that a minor 2-cm change in the pelvic sensor’s location during kinematic gait analysis significantly influences the hind limb kinematic data of the system in use.
- As a result, for precision in data, accurate anatomical placement of the pelvic sensor is crucial during gait analysis.
Cite This Article
APA
Moorman VJ, Frisbie DD, Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW.
(2017).
Effects of sensor position on kinematic data obtained with an inertial sensor system during gait analysis of trotting horses.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 250(5), 548-553.
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.250.5.548 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Female
- Gait / physiology
- Horses / physiology
- Male
- Monitoring, Physiologic / instrumentation
- Monitoring, Physiologic / methods
- Monitoring, Physiologic / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Serra Bragança FM, Rhodin M, Wiestner T, Hernlund E, Pfau T, van Weeren PR, Weishaupt MA. Quantification of the effect of instrumentation error in objective gait assessment in the horse on hindlimb symmetry parameters. Equine Vet J 2018 May;50(3):370-376.
- Key K, Berg K, Kirkegaard J, Andresen KR, Hansen SS. Evaluating the Accuracy of a Vision-Based Algorithm for Groundline Estimation in Trotting Horses Using Multiple Camera Angles. Vet Med Sci 2026 Jan;12(1):e70739.
- Clayton HM, Hobbs SJ, Rhodin M, Hernlund E, Peterson M, Bos R, Bragança FS. Vertical Movement of Head, Withers, and Pelvis of High-Level Dressage Horses Trotting in Hand vs. Being Ridden. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jan 16;15(2).
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