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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Movement asymmetries in horses presented for prepurchase or ...
Equine veterinary journal2021; 54(2); 334-346; doi: 10.1111/evj.13453

Movement asymmetries in horses presented for prepurchase or lameness examination.

Abstract: The increasing popularity of objective gait analysis makes application in prepurchase examinations (PPE) a logical next step. Therefore, there is a need to have more understanding of asymmetry during a PPE in horses described on clinical evaluation as subtly lame. Objective: The objective of this study is to objectively compare asymmetry in horses raising minor vet concerns in a PPE and in horses raising major vet concerns with that found in horses presented with subtle single-limb lameness, and to investigate the effect of age/discipline on the clinicians' interpretation of asymmetry on the classification of minor vet concerns in a PPE. Methods: Clinical case-series. Methods: Horses presented for PPE (n = 98) or subjectively evaluated as single limb low-grade (1-2/5) lame (n = 24, 13 forelimb lame, 11 hindlimb lame), from the patient population of a single clinic, were enrolled in the study provided that owners were willing to participate. Horses undergoing PPE were assigned a classification of having minor vet concerns (n = 84) or major vet concerns (n = 14) based on findings during the dynamic-orthopaedic part of the PPE. Lame horses were only included if pain-related lameness was confirmed by an objective improvement after diagnostic analgesia exceeding daily variation determined for equine symmetry parameters using optical motion capture. Clinical evaluation was performed by six different clinicians, each with ≥8 years of equine orthopaedic experience. Vertical movement symmetry was measured using optical motion capture, simultaneously with the orthopaedic examination. Data were analysed using previously described parameters and mixed model analysis and least squares means were used to calculate differences between groups. Results: There was no effect of age or discipline on the levels of asymmetry within PPE horses raising minor vet concerns. MinDiff and RUD of the head discriminated between forelimb lame and PPE horses raising minor vet concerns; MinDiff, MaxDiff, RUD of the Pelvis, HHDswing and HHDstance did so for hindlimb lameness. Two lameness patterns differentiated both forelimb and hindlimb lame from PPE horses with minor vet concerns: RUD Poll + MinDiff Withers - RUD Pelvis and RUD Pelvis + RUD Poll - MinDiff Withers. Correcting for vertical range of motion enabled differentiation of PPE horses with minor vet concerns from PPE horses with major vet concerns. Conclusions: Objective data only based on trot on soft surface, limited number of PPE horses with major vet concerns. Conclusions: Combinations of kinematic parameters discriminate between PPE horses with minor vet concerns and subtly lame horses, though overlap exists.
© 2021 The Authors. Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2021-06-09 PubMed ID: 33862666PubMed Central: PMC9291531DOI: 10.1111/evj.13453Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

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This research investigates the application of objective gait analysis in prepurchase examinations (PPE) of horses, specifically to understand asymmetry in subtly lame horses. The study compares asymmetry in horses raising minor and major vet concerns with horses showing single-limb lameness and examines the effects of age and discipline on the interpretation of asymmetry.

Methodology

  • The study was a clinical case-series involving 98 horses presented for PPE and 24 evaluated as single limb low-grade lame.
  • Data collection was done at a single clinic and participation was voluntary.
  • Horses undergoing PPE were classified based on the findings during the dynamic-orthopaedic part of the PPE as having either minor vet concerns or major vet concerns.
  • Only lame horses confirmed to have pain-related lameness that showed an objective improvement after diagnostic analgesia were included in the study.
  • Clinical evaluations were done by six different clinicians, each with more than eight years of equine orthopaedic experience.
  • Asymmetry was measured using optical motion capture, simultaneously with the orthopaedic examination.
  • Data were analysed using previously described parameters and a mixed model analysis.
  • Mean differences between groups were calculated using least squares.

Results

  • The study found that neither age nor discipline had any effect on the levels of asymmetry in PPE horses with minor vet concerns.
  • Different parameters of the head and pelvis movements were found capable of discriminating between forelimb lame and PPE horses raising minor vet concerns.
  • Certain lameness patterns were found to differentiate both forelimb and hindlimb lame from PPE horses with minor vet concerns.
  • Correcting for vertical range of motion enabled differentiation of PPE horses with minor vet concerns from those with major vet concerns.

Conclusion

  • The study concluded that combinations of kinematic parameters can discriminate between PPE horses with minor vet concerns and subtly lame horses, though overlap exists.
  • It is also indicated that more data collected on a soft surface trot and from PPE horses with major vet concerns may be necessary.

Cite This Article

APA
Hardeman AM, Egenvall A, Serra Bragança FM, Koene MHW, Swagemakers JH, Roepstorff L, van Weeren R, Byström A. (2021). Movement asymmetries in horses presented for prepurchase or lameness examination. Equine Vet J, 54(2), 334-346. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13453

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 54
Issue: 2
Pages: 334-346

Researcher Affiliations

Hardeman, Aagje M
  • Tierklinik Luesche GmbH, Luesche, Germany.
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Egenvall, Agneta
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
Serra Bragança, Filipe M
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Koene, Marc H W
  • Tierklinik Luesche GmbH, Luesche, Germany.
Swagemakers, Jan-Hein
  • Tierklinik Luesche GmbH, Luesche, Germany.
Roepstorff, Lars
  • Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
van Weeren, Rene
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Byström, Anna
  • Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Forelimb
  • Gait
  • Hindlimb
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horses
  • Lameness, Animal / diagnosis
  • Movement

Conflict of Interest Statement

No competing interests have been declared.

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Citations

This article has been cited 8 times.
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