Relationship Between Historical Lameness, Medication Usage, Surgery, and Exercise With Catastrophic Musculoskeletal Injury in Racehorses.
Abstract: The rate of catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries (CMI) in racehorses is high in the United States compared to other countries. Few modifiable risk factors related to lameness, medication, and surgery history have been identified. To detect management factors that increase risk of CMI by comparing medical histories between horses that sustained, and horses that did not sustain, a CMI. Case-control. Racehorse necropsy data (May 2012-June 2013) were obtained through the California Horse Racing Board Postmortem Program. Attending veterinarians of Thoroughbreds (TB) and Quarter Horses (QH) that experienced CMI, and of three matched control horses, were invited to complete an online veterinary medical history survey. We investigated associations between CMI and lameness, medication, surgery, and exercise history using multivariable logistic regression. There were 146 TB (45 cases, 101 controls) and 17 QH (11 cases, 6 controls) surveys completed. TB cases were more likely to show signs of lameness within the 3 months prior to death compared to controls. A high proportion of both cases (64.3%) and controls (76.8%) were administered medications, but unraced TB case horses were more likely to have been administered systemic medications compared to those that previously raced. TB cases were more likely to have raced with greater intensity during their career, but had eased off in the month preceding CMI. For QHs, there was insufficient power to detect significant differences between cases and controls that showed signs of lameness, or that were administered medications. Surgery history was not associated with CMI. Insufficient power to detect small effect sizes. The study provides information that can be used to aid in identification of horses at high risk for catastrophic injury, and management factors that can be modified to reduce the risk for all horses.
Publication Date: 2018-09-07 PubMed ID: 30246014PubMed Central: PMC6137211DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00217Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research examines the relationship between historical factors such as lameness, medication use, surgery, and exercise in racehorses, and their subsequent risk of catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries (CMIs). It was found that horses showing signs of lameness within the past three months and those with a history of intense racing were at a higher risk, while medication usage and surgeries did not significantly affect the risk.
Study Design and Participants
- The study was a case-control designed to compare the medical histories of horses that suffered CMIs and those that didn’t.
- Data collected between May 2012 to June 2013 from the California Horse Racing Board Postmortem Program was used.
- Participants were Thoroughbred (TB) and Quarter Horse (QH) racehorses that had experienced CMIs, alongside three matched control horses for each.
Methodology
- Veterinarians of these horses were invited to complete an online survey regarding the horses’ medical history, including aspects of lameness, medication, surgery, and exercise history.
- The gathered information was subsequently analysed using multivariable logistic regression to find associations between these factors and CMIs.
Findings
- There were 146 TBs (45 cases, 101 controls) and 17 QHs (11 cases, 6 controls) included in the analysis.
- It was found that TBs that had shown signs of lameness within the three months before their death were more likely to have a CMI.
- A high proportion of both case and control horses had been administered medications, but TBs that had not been raced and received systemic medications were more likely to suffer a CMI.
- TBs that had been raced more intensively during their lifetime, but had less racing in the month before the CMI, were more likely to suffer a CMI.
- For QHs, there were no significant differences found between cases and controls that had shown signs of lameness or had been administered medications, due to the low number of entries, which led to a lack of statistical power.
- The study found no association between surgery history and CMI.
Implications and Limitations
- The study provides valuable information to identify horses at high risk for CMIs, and potential management strategies that might reduce the risk.
- However, the low sample size, especially with QHs, limits the power to detect statistically significant relationships and small effect sizes.
Cite This Article
APA
Hitchens PL, Hill AE, Stover SM.
(2018).
Relationship Between Historical Lameness, Medication Usage, Surgery, and Exercise With Catastrophic Musculoskeletal Injury in Racehorses.
Front Vet Sci, 5, 217.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2018.00217 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- J.D. Wheat Veterinary Orthopedic Research Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.
- Equine Centre, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC, Australia.
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.
- J.D. Wheat Veterinary Orthopedic Research Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.
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