Racing performance of Standardbred trotting horses undergoing surgery of the carpal flexor sheath and age- and sex-matched control horses.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE To determine factors affecting race speed in Swedish Standardbred horses undergoing surgery of the carpal flexor sheath (CFS), to investigate whether preoperative racing speed was associated with specific intraoperative findings and whether horses returned to racing, and to compare the performance of horses undergoing surgery of the CFS with that of age- and sex-matched control horses. ANIMALS 149 Swedish Standardbred trotters undergoing surgery of the CFS and 274 age- and sex-matched control horses. PROCEDURES Medical records of CFS horses were examined. Racing data for CFS and control horses were retrieved from official online records. Generalizing estimating equations were used to examine overall and presurgery racing speeds and the association of preoperative clinical and intraoperative findings with preoperative and postoperative speeds. Multivariable regression analysis was used to examine career earnings and number of career races. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare career longevity between CFS and control horses. RESULTS CFS horses were significantly faster than control horses. The CFS horses that raced before surgery were slower as they approached the surgery date, but race speed increased after surgery. There were 124 of 137 (90.5%) CFS horses that raced after surgery. No intrathecal pathological findings were significantly associated with preoperative racing speed. Career longevity did not differ between CFS and control horses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Horses undergoing surgery of the CFS had a good prognosis to return to racing after surgery. Racing careers of horses undergoing surgery of the CFS were not significantly different from racing careers of control horses.
Publication Date: 2017-06-27 PubMed ID: 28650237DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.78.7.847Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research examines the impact of carpal flexor sheath (CFS) surgery on the racing performance of Swedish Standardbred trotting horses, comparing surgical cases to controls of the same age and sex, to determine prognosis for returning to racing and overall career longevity.
Research Methodology
- The study analyzed the medical records and official online racing data of 149 Standardbred trotters that underwent carpal flexor sheath (CFS) surgery, as well as 274 age- and sex-matched control horses that did not have the surgery.
- Generalizing Estimating Equations were used to scrutinize both overall and pre-surgery racing speeds, as well as the relationship of preoperative clinical symptoms and operative findings with pre- and post-surgery speeds.
- Multivariable Regression Analysis was utilized to investigate career earnings and the total number of career races.
- Kaplan-Meier Survival Analysis compared career longevity between the CFS-operated horses and the control horses.
- Horses that underwent CFS surgery were found to have a faster racing speed than the control horses.
- Horses that raced before having CFS surgery slowed down as the date of surgery approached, but showed an improvement in speed after the operation.
- Out of the horses with CFS surgery, 90.5% (124 out of 137 horses) returned to racing post-surgery.
- No pathological findings during CFS surgery had a substantial impact on a horse’s preoperative racing speed.
- The career longevity of horses undergoing CFS surgery did not dramatically differ from that of the control horses.
- This research points towards a positive prognosis for horses undergoing CFS surgery to return to racing after the procedure.
- Additionally, having CFS surgery does not noticeably affect the longevity of a horse’s racing career in comparison to horses that did not undergo the surgery.
Key Findings
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance
Cite This Article
APA
Carmalt JL, Johansson BC, Zetterström SM, McOnie RC.
(2017).
Racing performance of Standardbred trotting horses undergoing surgery of the carpal flexor sheath and age- and sex-matched control horses.
Am J Vet Res, 78(7), 847-853.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.78.7.847 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Endoscopy / methods
- Endoscopy / veterinary
- Female
- Horses / surgery
- Male
- Physical Conditioning, Animal
- Regression Analysis
- Sports
- Tendons / surgery
Citations
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