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Scientific reports2022; 12(1); 11528; doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-14274-y

Relationship between Thoroughbred workloads in racing and the fatigue life of equine subchondral bone.

Abstract: Fatigue life (FL) is the number of cycles of load sustained by a material before failure, and is dependent on the load magnitude. For athletes, 'cycles' translates to number of strides, with load proportional to speed. To improve previous investigations estimating workload from distance, we used speed (m/s, x) per stride collected using 5 Hz GPS/800 Hz accelerometer sensors as a proxy for limb load to investigate factors associated with FL in a Thoroughbred race start model over 25,234 race starts, using a combination of mathematical and regression modelling. Fore-limb vertical force (NKg) was estimated using a published equation: Vertical force = 2.778 + 2.1376x - 0.0535x. Joint load (σ) was estimated based on the vertical force, scaled according to the maximum speed and defined experimental loads for the expected variation in load distribution across a joint surface (54-90 MPa). Percentage FL (%FL) was estimated using a published equation for cycles to failure (N) summed across each race start: N = 10 Multivariable mixed-effects linear regression models were generated on %FL, adjusting for horse-level clustering, presented as coefficients; 95%CI. Scaled to the highest joint load, individual starts accrued a mean of 9.34%FL (sd. 1.64). Older age (coef. 0.03; 0.002-0.04), longer race-distances (non-linear power transformed), and firmer track surfaces (ref. Heavy 10: Good 3 coef. 2.37; 2.26-2.48) were associated with greater %FL, and males accrued less than females (p < 0.01). Most variables associated with %FL are reported risk factors for injury. Monitoring strides in racehorses may therefore allow identification of horses at risk, enabling early detection of injury.
© 2022. The Author(s).
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Publication Date: 2022-07-07 PubMed ID: 35798766PubMed Central: PMC9262984DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14274-yGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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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.

This research studied the toll that horse racing takes on thoroughbred horses, specifically, how equine subchondral bone’s fatigue life is affected by intense physical workloads. The authors used in-depth modeling to show that greater horse age, longer race distances, and firmer track surfaces resulted in greater fatigue life, indicating a higher risk of injury. At the same time, female horses showed greater fatigue life than male horses, suggesting they might be more prone to injury.

Speed and Stride as Proxy for Limb Load

  • The researchers used speed per stride to estimate workload, a more specific method than prior studies that only used distance. They collected this data using GPS and accelerometer sensors.
  • The concept of ‘cycles’ was translated to the number of strides a horse takes, with each stride’s load proportional to its speed. This terminology comes from fatigue life (FL), a concept in materials science that refers to the number of load cycles a material can endure before failure.

Modelling Workload and Fatigue Life

  • The workload was calculated using a series of mathematical and regression models developed from over 25,234 race starts. Each variable and mathematical coefficient was carefully selected to correlate with real-world conditions and factors, such as the force exerted by each stride and the distribution of load across a joint surface.
  • The proportion of fatigue life (%FL) was estimated using every stride in each race start. Higher %FL corresponds to higher injury risk in horses. This is a crucial metric in understanding and predicting equine sports injuries.

    • Factors that Influence Fatigue Life

    • They found that older age, longer race-distances, and firmer track surfaces were associated with greater %FL, meaning these factors put thoroughbred horses at a higher risk of injury.
    • Gender also played a role, with male horses showing lower fatigue life loads than females.
    • Most of the variables associated with higher fatigue life are known risk factors for injury in horses.

    Predicting and Preventing Injury

    • The researchers suggest that monitoring strides in racehorses could help identify horses at risk. The information garnered from such monitoring might enable early detection of injury and influence better practices in preparing horses for races, thereby potentially reducing the incidence of fatigue-induced injuries.

Cite This Article

APA
Morrice-West AV, Hitchens PL, Walmsley EA, Tasker K, Lim SL, Smith AD, Whitton RC. (2022). Relationship between Thoroughbred workloads in racing and the fatigue life of equine subchondral bone. Sci Rep, 12(1), 11528. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14274-y

Publication

Scientific reports
ISSN: 2045-2322
NlmUniqueID: 101563288
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 1
Pages: 11528
PII: 11528

Researcher Affiliations

Morrice-West, Ashleigh V
  • Melbourne Veterinary School, Equine Centre, University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Hwy, Werribee, VIC, 3030, Australia. ashleigh.morrice@unimelb.edu.au.
Hitchens, Peta L
  • Melbourne Veterinary School, Equine Centre, University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Hwy, Werribee, VIC, 3030, Australia.
Walmsley, Elizabeth A
  • Melbourne Veterinary School, Equine Centre, University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Hwy, Werribee, VIC, 3030, Australia.
Tasker, Kate
  • Melbourne Veterinary School, Equine Centre, University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Hwy, Werribee, VIC, 3030, Australia.
Lim, Ser Lin
  • Melbourne Veterinary School, Equine Centre, University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Hwy, Werribee, VIC, 3030, Australia.
Smith, Ariel D
  • Melbourne Veterinary School, Equine Centre, University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Hwy, Werribee, VIC, 3030, Australia.
Whitton, R Chris
  • Melbourne Veterinary School, Equine Centre, University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Hwy, Werribee, VIC, 3030, Australia.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Extremities
  • Fatigue / complications
  • Female
  • Forelimb
  • Horse Diseases
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal
  • Risk Factors
  • Workload

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
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