Kinematic and kinetic analyses of the gait of horses wearing novel legwear for variably limiting extension of the metacarpophalangeal joint.

The research article investigates the impact of innovative legwear on the movement and force distribution in a horse’s metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ) by analysing kinematic and kinetic data.

Research Objectives

The main aim of the study was:

• To examine the effects of a new type of legwear designed to limit the extension of a horse’s MCPJ and to redirect the loading forces from the main flexor apparatus
• This was achieved by analysing data collected using two-dimensional (2-D) kinematic and kinetic methods.

Methodology

In the study:

• Six healthy adult horses were subjected to four different treatments: control (no legwear), inactive legwear (legwear that doesn’t limit extension), and active legwear which mildly (30°) and moderately (20°) limited legwear extension.
• Two-dimensional kinematic data were gathered from the right forelimb during walking and trotting, and from leading and trailing forelimbs during a canter on a treadmill.
• Ground reaction force (GRF) data was also gathered during a ground walk and trot.
• Key measurements such as peak MCPJ angle and angular velocity were calculated from the kinematic data. Similarly, peak force and average loading rate were calculated from the vertical GRF data during the stance phase of the gait.
• The interactions between gait and treatment were identified using an analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results and Conclusion

From the results:

• There were significant interactions between gait and treatment for peak MCPJ angle.
• Significant reductions in the MCPJ angle were found between the control treatment and the legwear that moderately limited extension during trotting and cantering.
• Similarly, significant reductions were also noticed between the inactive legwear and the legwear that moderately limited extension during trotting and leading forelimb during canter.
• However, there were no significant interactions found among peak MCPJ angular velocity, peak vertical GRF, and average loading rate of the vertical GRF.

The study concluded that the significant reduction in MCPJ extension without major alterations to the peak vertical GRF implies that the legwear is capable of redistributing internal forces efficiently. This suggests the legwear might be beneficial for horses that are recovering from flexor apparatus injuries.