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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Rec / Investigations of the reliability of observational gait anal...
The Veterinary record2006; 158(25); 852-857; doi: 10.1136/vr.158.25.852

Investigations of the reliability of observational gait analysis for the assessment of lameness in horses.

Abstract: The objectives of this study were to assess the reliability of a numerical rating scale (NRS) and a verbal rating scale (VRS) for the assessment of lameness in horses and to determine whether they can be used interchangeably. Sixteen independent observers graded the severity of lameness in 20 videotaped horses, and the agreement between and within observers, correlation and bias were determined for each scale. The observers agreed with each other in 56 per cent of the observations with the NRS and in 60 per cent of the observations with the VRS, and the associated Kendall coefficient of concordance was high. Similar trends were evident in the agreement between two observations by each observer. The correlation between and within observers was high for both scales. There were no significant differences (bias) among the observers' mean scores when using either scale. There was a significant correlation between the lameness scores attributed when using the two scales, but the differences between the scores when plotted against their overall mean were unacceptable for clinical purposes. The results indicate that the NRS and VRS are only moderately reliable when used to assess lameness severity in the horse, and that they should not be used interchangeably.
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Publication Date: 2006-06-27 PubMed ID: 16798953DOI: 10.1136/vr.158.25.852Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Validation Study

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.

This research article investigates the effectiveness of using the numerical rating scale (NRS) and verbal rating scale (VRS) to evaluate lameness in horses. The study concluded that both scales were moderately reliable yet not interchangeable.

Overview of Study

  • The objective of this research was to assess the reliability of two commonly used scales in veterinary medicine – numerical rating scale (NRS) and verbal rating scale (VRS) – to analyze the severity of lameness in horses.
  • Sixteen independent observers were involved in the study who all assessed a total of 20 horses via videotape.

Assessment Procedure and Results

  • The agreement between observers, bias, and correlation were investigated for each scale.
  • Observers agreed with each other 56% of the time when using the NRS and 60% of the time when using the VRS, indicating moderate reliability for both scales.
  • The Kendall coefficient of concordance, which measures the degree of agreement between observers, was high for both scales. This shows that there was a fair amount of consensus among the observers, regardless of the scales used.

Correlation and Bias

  • For both scales, there were no significant differences (Bias) among the mean scores that the observers assigned, indicating that both scales performed uniformly across multiple observers.
  • Despite the similarities between the NRS and VRS, the study noted that they should not be used interchangeably.

Practical Applications

  • The findings from this research imply that while the NRS and VRS can be reliable tools for assessing lameness in horses, care should be taken not to switch between the two methods interchangeably.
  • The results also indicated that scores differed significantly when the two scales were compared against each other, meaning that they would not provide identical assessments in a clinical setting.

Cite This Article

APA
Hewetson M, Christley RM, Hunt ID, Voute LC. (2006). Investigations of the reliability of observational gait analysis for the assessment of lameness in horses. Vet Rec, 158(25), 852-857. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.158.25.852

Publication

The Veterinary record
ISSN: 0042-4900
NlmUniqueID: 0031164
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 158
Issue: 25
Pages: 852-857

Researcher Affiliations

Hewetson, M
  • Institute of Comparative Medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, University of Glasgow, Bearsden Road, Glasgow G61 1QH.
Christley, R M
    Hunt, I D
      Voute, L C

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Female
        • Gait
        • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
        • Horse Diseases / physiopathology
        • Horses
        • Humans
        • Lameness, Animal / diagnosis
        • Lameness, Animal / physiopathology
        • Male
        • Neurologic Examination / veterinary
        • Observer Variation
        • Osteoarthritis / diagnosis
        • Osteoarthritis / physiopathology
        • Osteoarthritis / veterinary
        • Regression Analysis
        • Reproducibility of Results
        • Severity of Illness Index
        • Videotape Recording

        Citations

        This article has been cited 25 times.
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