FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Equine veterinary journal1983; 15(2); 117-122; doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1983.tb01732.x

Kinematics of the equine thoracolumbar spine.

Abstract: At least three types of movement take place in the joint complexes of the equine thoracolumbar spine: dorsoventral flexion and extension, axial rotation and lateral bending. Using the standard right-handed Cartesian coordinate system, these movements may be defined as rotation about the x, y and z axes respectively. Except in cases of intervertebral fusion, all three types of movement occur in each joint complex of the equine back. The greatest amount of dorsoventral movement takes place at the lumbosacral and the first thoracic intervertebral joints. The greatest amount of axial rotation and lateral bending was measured in the mid-thoracolumbar spine at the level of the 11th or 12th thoracic intervertebral joints. The caudal thoracic and the lumbar spine is the least mobile region of the equine back. In the mid-thoracic spine, lateral bending was always accompanied by a "coupled" axial rotation. The presence of the rib cage stabilised the cranial thoracic vertebrae against axial rotation.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 1983-04-01 PubMed ID: 6873044DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1983.tb01732.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Comparative Study
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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.

The research article investigates the three types of movements that occur in the joint complexes of a horse’s thoracolumbar spine which are: dorsoventral flexion and extension, axial rotation and lateral bending. The study finds that these movements occur at varying degrees across this region of the spine.

Motion Types

  • The study first defines the three types of movements. Dorsoventral flexion and extension involves rocking back and forth along the spine’s length. Axial rotation refers to the spine twisting along its axis. Lateral bending explains the movement of the spine bending from side to side.

Movement Locations

  • The researchers identify that all of these movements are found throughout the joint complexes of the equine back except in cases of intervertebral fusion where the movement may be limited or absent.
  • Particular movements are more prevalent at certain areas of the spine. For example, the maximum level of dorsoventral movement is found at the lumbosacral and the first thoracic intervertebral joints. Whereas, the highest level of axial rotation and lateral bending was seen at the mid-thoracolumbar spine, specifically around the 11th or 12th thoracic intervertebral joints.

Least Mobile Region

  • The study notes that the least mobile region of the equine back is the caudal thoracic and the lumbar spine. This could potentially be due to the increased structural support requirements in these areas.

Coupling of Movements

  • The researchers then discuss the concept of “coupled” movements, where two forms of motion occur together. In the mid-thoracic spine, lateral bending always appears along with axial rotation.

Role of the Rib Cage

  • The rib cage plays a crucial role in stabilizing the cranial thoracic vertebrae against axial rotation, demonstrating how the structure of the surrounding anatomy impacts spinal movement.

The findings of this research give important insights into the kinematics of the equine thoracolumbar spine that can be beneficial in veterinary medicine for diagnosing, treating, and preventing horse back disorders.

Cite This Article

APA
Townsend HG, Leach DH, Fretz PB. (1983). Kinematics of the equine thoracolumbar spine. Equine Vet J, 15(2), 117-122. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1983.tb01732.x

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 0425-1644
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 2
Pages: 117-122

Researcher Affiliations

Townsend, H G
    Leach, D H
      Fretz, P B

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Biomechanical Phenomena
        • Female
        • Horses / physiology
        • Lumbar Vertebrae / physiology
        • Male
        • Movement
        • Rotation
        • Spine / physiology
        • Thoracic Vertebrae / physiology

        Citations

        This article has been cited 23 times.
        1. Scilimati N, Angeli G, Di Meo A, Dall'Aglio C, Pepe M, Beccati F. Post-Mortem Computed Tomographic Features of the Most Caudal Lumbar Vertebrae, Anatomical Variations and Acquired Osseous Pathological Changes, in a Mixed Population of Horses. Animals (Basel) 2023 Feb 19;13(4).
          doi: 10.3390/ani13040743pubmed: 36830530google scholar: lookup
        2. Biedrzycki AH, Elane GL. Three-Dimensional Modeling and In Silico Kinematic Evaluation of Interspinous Ligament Desmotomy in Horses. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022;10:817300.
          doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.817300pubmed: 35433641google scholar: lookup
        3. Simonato SP, Bernardina GRD, Ferreira LCR, Silvatti AP, Barcelos KMC, da Fonseca BPA. 3D kinematic of the thoracolumbar spine in Mangalarga Marchador horses performing the marcha batida gait and being led by hand-A preliminary report. PLoS One 2021;16(7):e0253697.
          doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253697pubmed: 34228737google scholar: lookup
        4. Byström A, Hardeman AM, Serra Bragança FM, Roepstorff L, Swagemakers JH, van Weeren PR, Egenvall A. Differences in equine spinal kinematics between straight line and circle in trot. Sci Rep 2021 Jun 18;11(1):12832.
          doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-92272-2pubmed: 34145339google scholar: lookup
        5. MacKechnie-Guire R, Pfau T. Differential Rotational Movement of the Thoracolumbosacral Spine in High-Level Dressage Horses Ridden in a Straight Line, in Sitting Trot and Seated Canter Compared to In-Hand Trot. Animals (Basel) 2021 Mar 20;11(3).
          doi: 10.3390/ani11030888pubmed: 33804702google scholar: lookup
        6. Belyaev RI, Kuznetsov AN, Prilepskaya NE. A mechanistic approach for the calculation of intervertebral mobility in mammals based on vertebrae osteometry. J Anat 2021 Jan;238(1):113-130.
          doi: 10.1111/joa.13300pubmed: 32951205google scholar: lookup
        7. Giraldo A, Pinard CL, Plattner BL, Dubois MS. Periocular sarcoid with bone invasion in a Thoroughbred mare. Can Vet J 2020 Apr;61(4):415-419.
          pubmed: 32255829
        8. Kambic RE, Biewener AA, Pierce SE. Experimental determination of three-dimensional cervical joint mobility in the avian neck. Front Zool 2017;14:37.
          doi: 10.1186/s12983-017-0223-zpubmed: 28747987google scholar: lookup
        9. García Liñeiro JA, Graziotti GH, Rodríguez Menéndez JM, Ríos CM, Affricano NO, Victorica CL. Structural and functional characteristics of the thoracolumbar multifidus muscle in horses. J Anat 2017 Mar;230(3):398-406.
          doi: 10.1111/joa.12564pubmed: 27861847google scholar: lookup
        10. Jones KE. New insights on equid locomotor evolution from the lumbar region of fossil horses. Proc Biol Sci 2016 Apr 27;283(1829).
          doi: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2947pubmed: 27122554google scholar: lookup
        11. Gunji M, Endo H. Functional cervicothoracic boundary modified by anatomical shifts in the neck of giraffes. R Soc Open Sci 2016 Feb;3(2):150604.
          doi: 10.1098/rsos.150604pubmed: 26998330google scholar: lookup
        12. Nowroozi BN, Brainerd EL. Regional variation in the mechanical properties of the vertebral column during lateral bending in Morone saxatilis. J R Soc Interface 2012 Oct 7;9(75):2667-79.
          doi: 10.1098/rsif.2012.0153pubmed: 22552920google scholar: lookup
        13. Dunbar DC, Macpherson JM, Simmons RW, Zarcades A. Stabilization and mobility of the head, neck and trunk in horses during overground locomotion: comparisons with humans and other primates. J Exp Biol 2008 Dec;211(Pt 24):3889-907.
          doi: 10.1242/jeb.020578pubmed: 19043061google scholar: lookup
        14. Maeta T, Hattori S, Kano T, Fukuhara A, Ishiguro A. A simple robot suggests trunk rotation is essential for emergence of inside leading limb during quadruped galloping turns. Front Neurorobot 2025;19:1628368.
          doi: 10.3389/fnbot.2025.1628368pubmed: 41209825google scholar: lookup
        15. Pilati N, Pressanto MC, Palumbo Piccionello A, De Angelis Corvi F, Beccati F. Impinging and Overriding Spinous Processes in Horses: A Narrative Review. Animals (Basel) 2025 Sep 13;15(18).
          doi: 10.3390/ani15182679pubmed: 41007924google scholar: lookup
        16. MacKechnie-Guire R, Clayton H, Byström A, Marlin D, Haussler K, Latif S, Blum N, le Jeune SS, Wanless M, Egenvall A. International Survey Exploring Rider-Perceived Sidedness of the Horse. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jul 2;15(13).
          doi: 10.3390/ani15131956pubmed: 40646855google scholar: lookup
        17. Patricio CR, Winter GHZ, Garbade P. Spinal articular dysfunction is common in athletic horses. Equine Vet J 2025 Sep;57(5):1357-1362.
          doi: 10.1111/evj.14541pubmed: 40452204google scholar: lookup
        18. de Secondi C, Cantatore F, Marcatili M, Biggi M, Withers J, de Zani D, Zani D. Spondylosis in Horses: Clinical Features, Diagnostic Imaging Findings, Treatment and Outcome in 13 Horses. Vet Med Sci 2025 Mar;11(2):e70196.
          doi: 10.1002/vms3.70196pubmed: 40109022google scholar: lookup
        19. Baudisch N, Singer E, Jensen KC, Eichler F, Meyer HJ, Lischer C, Ehrle A. Influence of surgical intervention at the level of the dorsal spinous processes on the biomechanics of the equine thoracolumbar spine. Equine Vet J 2025 Mar;57(2):492-501.
          doi: 10.1111/evj.14123pubmed: 38934728google scholar: lookup
        20. Fair N, Blake S, Blake R. Four Weeks of Incline Water Treadmill Exercise Can Contribute to Increase Epaxial Muscle Profile in Horses. Vet Med Int 2023;2023:9090406.
          doi: 10.1155/2023/9090406pubmed: 38023427google scholar: lookup
        21. Belyaev RI, Nikolskaia P, Bushuev AV, Panyutina AA, Kozhanova DA, Prilepskaya NE. Running, jumping, hunting, and scavenging: Functional analysis of vertebral mobility and backbone properties in carnivorans. J Anat 2024 Feb;244(2):205-231.
          doi: 10.1111/joa.13955pubmed: 37837214google scholar: lookup
        22. Belyaev RI, Kuznetsov AN, Prilepskaya NE. Truly dorsostable runners: Vertebral mobility in rhinoceroses, tapirs, and horses. J Anat 2023 Apr;242(4):568-591.
          doi: 10.1111/joa.13799pubmed: 36519561google scholar: lookup
        23. Belyaev RI, Kuznetsov AN, Prilepskaya NE. From dorsomobility to dorsostability: A study of lumbosacral joint range of motion in artiodactyls. J Anat 2022 Aug;241(2):420-436.
          doi: 10.1111/joa.13688pubmed: 35616615google scholar: lookup
        Subscribe to our newsletter
        Join 99,780 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.