FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Am J Vet Res / Risk factors for proximal sesamoid bone fractures associated...
American journal of veterinary research2007; 68(7); 760-771; doi: 10.2460/ajvr.68.7.760

Risk factors for proximal sesamoid bone fractures associated with exercise history and horseshoe characteristics in Thoroughbred racehorses.

Abstract: To assess individual and combined associations of high-speed exercise and horseshoe characteristics with risk of forelimb proximal sesamoid bone fractures and proximal sesamoid bone midbody fractures in Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: 269 deceased Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: A case-control study design was used to compare 121 horses with a fracture of at least 1 of 4 forelimb proximal sesamoid bones (75 horses had a midbody fracture) and 148 horses without a forelimb proximal sesamoid bone fracture. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate potential risk factors for association with proximal sesamoid bone fracture. Results: Compared with horses that died without proximal sesamoid bone fractures, horses that died with proximal sesamoid bone fractures were more likely to be sexually intact males, spend more time in active trainingand racing, complete more events, train and race longer since their last layup, have higher exercise intensities during the 12 months prior to death, and have greater cumulative distances for their career. Horses with proximal sesamoid bone midbody fractures were more likely to be sexually intact males, train and race longer since their last layup, and have higher exercise intensities during the 12 months prior to death. Conclusions: Limitingexercise intensity and the continuous time spent in activity duringa horse's career may decrease the frequency of forelimb proximal sesamoid bone fractures in Thoroughbred horses.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2007-07-04 PubMed ID: 17605612DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.68.7.760Google 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
  • 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 study explores the relationship between high-speed exercise, horseshoe characteristics, and the risk of forelimb proximal sesamoid bone fractures in Thoroughbred racehorses. The findings suggest that limiting exercise intensity and continuous activity time could help reduce the incidence of such injuries.

Study Overview and Methodology

  • The study implemented a case-control design to compare Thoroughbred racehorses with and without a specific type of injury: fractures of the proximal sesamoid bone in the forelimbs. The sesamoid bones are small bones embedded in the tendons of the horse’s lower leg.
  • The sample comprised 269 deceased horses, 121 with at least one of this type of fracture and 148 without.
  • The researchers collected data on each horse’s exercise history, sex, and horseshoe characteristics, among other details.

Key Findings

  • Horses that had died with proximal sesamoid bone fractures were more likely to be sexually intact males.
  • These horses also tended to have spent more time in active training and racing, completed more events and trained or competed for longer periods since their last break.
  • They also showed higher exercise intensities during the 12 months leading up to their death and had covered greater cumulative distances throughout their careers.
  • Specifically, horses with midbody fractures of the proximal sesamoid bone also displayed the above patterns and were likely to have higher exercise intensities during the year prior to death.

Conclusions and Implications

  • The findings suggest that factors such as the horse’s sex, training and racing history, exercise intensity, and distance covered may contribute to the risk of proximal sesamoid bone fractures in Thoroughbred racehorses.
  • Steps such as limiting high-intensity exercise and amount of time spent in continuous activity could help decrease the frequency of these injuries, which are apparently associated with long periods of strenuous activity.
  • This information could be useful to horse trainers and owners, as well as conditioners and racetrack regulatory bodies, as they make decisions about horse training schedules and racing regulations.

Cite This Article

APA
Anthenill LA, Stover SM, Gardner IA, Hill AE. (2007). Risk factors for proximal sesamoid bone fractures associated with exercise history and horseshoe characteristics in Thoroughbred racehorses. Am J Vet Res, 68(7), 760-771. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.68.7.760

Publication

American journal of veterinary research
ISSN: 0002-9645
NlmUniqueID: 0375011
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 68
Issue: 7
Pages: 760-771

Researcher Affiliations

Anthenill, Lucy A
  • J. D. Wheat Veterinary Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Stover, Susan M
    Gardner, Ian A
      Hill, Ashley E

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • California / epidemiology
        • Case-Control Studies
        • Female
        • Fractures, Bone / epidemiology
        • Fractures, Bone / veterinary
        • Horses / injuries
        • Logistic Models
        • Male
        • Physical Conditioning, Animal
        • Sesamoid Bones / injuries
        • Shoes

        Citations

        This article has been cited 24 times.
        1. Bennet ED, Parkin TDH. Anomalous Incidence of Fatal Musculoskeletal Injury in North American 2-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses in the Year 2020. Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 9;13(16).
          doi: 10.3390/ani13162572pubmed: 37627362google scholar: lookup
        2. Noordwijk KJ, Chen L, Ruspi BD, Schurer S, Papa B, Fasanello DC, McDonough SP, Palmer SE, Porter IR, Basran PS, Donnelly E, Reesink HL. Metacarpophalangeal Joint Pathology and Bone Mineral Density Increase with Exercise but Not with Incidence of Proximal Sesamoid Bone Fracture in Thoroughbred Racehorses. Animals (Basel) 2023 Feb 24;13(5).
          doi: 10.3390/ani13050827pubmed: 36899684google scholar: lookup
        3. Legg KA, Gee EK, Breheny M, Gibson MJ, Rogers CW. A Bioeconomic Model for the Thoroughbred Racing Industry-Optimisation of the Production Cycle with a Horse Centric Welfare Perspective. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jan 30;13(3).
          doi: 10.3390/ani13030479pubmed: 36766368google scholar: lookup
        4. Shaffer SK, Stover SM, Fyhrie DP. Training drives turnover rates in racehorse proximal sesamoid bones. Sci Rep 2023 Jan 27;13(1):205.
          doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-26027-ypubmed: 36707527google scholar: lookup
        5. Shaffer SK, Garcia TC, Stover SM, Fyhrie DP. Exercise history predicts focal differences in bone volume fraction, mineral density and microdamage in the proximal sesamoid bones of Thoroughbred racehorses. J Orthop Res 2022 Dec;40(12):2831-2842.
          doi: 10.1002/jor.25312pubmed: 35245393google scholar: lookup
        6. Crawford KL, Finnane A, Greer RM, Barnes TS, Phillips CJC, Woldeyohannes SM, Bishop EL, Perkins NR, Ahern BJ. Survival Analysis of Training Methodologies and Other Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Injury in 2-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses in Queensland, Australia. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:698298.
          doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.698298pubmed: 34796223google scholar: lookup
        7. Physick-Sheard P, Avison A, Sears W. Factors Associated with Fatality in Ontario Thoroughbred Racehorses: 2003-2015. Animals (Basel) 2021 Oct 13;11(10).
          doi: 10.3390/ani11102950pubmed: 34679971google scholar: lookup
        8. Samol MA, Uzal FA, Blanchard PC, Arthur RM, Stover SM. Sudden death caused by spinal cord injury associated with vertebral fractures and fetlock failure in a Thoroughbred racehorse. J Vet Diagn Invest 2021 Jul;33(4):788-791.
          doi: 10.1177/10406387211018289pubmed: 34041971google scholar: lookup
        9. Physick-Sheard P, Avison A, Sears W. Factors Associated with Mortality in Ontario Standardbred Racing: 2003-2015. Animals (Basel) 2021 Apr 5;11(4).
          doi: 10.3390/ani11041028pubmed: 33916415google scholar: lookup
        10. Crawford KL, Finnane A, Greer RM, Phillips CJC, Bishop EL, Woldeyohannes SM, Perkins NR, Ahern BJ. A Prospective Study of Training Methods for Two-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses in Queensland, Australia, and Analysis of the Differences in Training Methods between Trainers of Varying Stable Sizes. Animals (Basel) 2021 Mar 25;11(4).
          doi: 10.3390/ani11040928pubmed: 33805873google scholar: lookup
        11. Crawford KL, Finnane A, Phillips CJC, Greer RM, Woldeyohannes SM, Perkins NR, Kidd LJ, Ahern BJ. The Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Injuries in Thoroughbred Racehorses in Queensland, Australia: How These Vary for Two-Year-Old and Older Horses and with Type of Injury. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jan 21;11(2).
          doi: 10.3390/ani11020270pubmed: 33494508google scholar: lookup
        12. Crawford KL, Ahern BJ, Perkins NR, Phillips CJC, Finnane A. The Effect of Combined Training and Racing High-Speed Exercise History on Musculoskeletal Injuries in Thoroughbred Racehorses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Current Literature. Animals (Basel) 2020 Nov 11;10(11).
          doi: 10.3390/ani10112091pubmed: 33187122google scholar: lookup
        13. Starling M, Spurrett A, McGreevy P. A Pilot Study of Methods for Evaluating the Effects of Arousal and Emotional Valence on Performance of Racing Greyhounds. Animals (Basel) 2020 Jun 15;10(6).
          doi: 10.3390/ani10061037pubmed: 32549411google scholar: lookup
        14. Seghrouchni M, Elkasraoui H, Piro M, Alyakine H, Bouayad H, Chakir J, Tligui N, Elallali K, Azrib R. Osteoarticular radiographic findings of the distal forelimbs in Tbourida Horses. Heliyon 2019 Sep;5(9):e02514.
          doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02514pubmed: 31687602google scholar: lookup
        15. Turlo AJ, Cywinska A, Frisbie DD. Revisiting predictive biomarkers of musculoskeletal injury in thoroughbred racehorses: longitudinal study in polish population. BMC Vet Res 2019 Feb 26;15(1):66.
          doi: 10.1186/s12917-019-1799-7pubmed: 30808359google scholar: lookup
        16. Hitchens PL, Hill AE, Stover SM. Relationship Between Historical Lameness, Medication Usage, Surgery, and Exercise With Catastrophic Musculoskeletal Injury in Racehorses. Front Vet Sci 2018;5:217.
          doi: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00217pubmed: 30246014google scholar: lookup
        17. Baird A, Lindsay T, Everett A, Iyemere V, Paterson YZ, McClellan A, Henson FMD, Guest DJ. Osteoblast differentiation of equine induced pluripotent stem cells. Biol Open 2018 May 10;7(5).
          doi: 10.1242/bio.033514pubmed: 29685993google scholar: lookup
        18. Maeda Y, Hanada M, Oikawa MA. Epidemiology of racing injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses with special reference to bone fractures: Japanese experience from the 1980s to 2000s. J Equine Sci 2016;27(3):81-97.
          doi: 10.1294/jes.27.81pubmed: 27703403google scholar: lookup
        19. Bertuglia A, Bullone M, Rossotto F, Gasparini M. Epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries in a population of harness Standardbred racehorses in training. BMC Vet Res 2014 Jan 10;10:11.
          doi: 10.1186/1746-6148-10-11pubmed: 24410888google scholar: lookup
        20. Ciamillo SA, Bills KW, Gassert TM, Richardson DW, Brown KA, Stefanovski D, Ortved KF. Effect of high-speed exercise on subchondral bone in the metacarpo-/metatarsophalangeal joints of 2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses in their first year of training. Equine Vet J 2026 Jan;58(1):40-48.
          doi: 10.1111/evj.14524pubmed: 40323137google scholar: lookup
        21. Bennet ED, Parkin TDH. Novel risk factors associated with fatal musculoskeletal injury in Thoroughbreds in North American racing (2009-2023). Equine Vet J 2026 Jan;58(1):20-30.
          doi: 10.1111/evj.14503pubmed: 40134143google scholar: lookup
        22. Palomino Lago E, Ross AKC, McClellan A, Guest DJ. Identification of a global gene expression signature associated with the genetic risk of catastrophic fracture in iPSC-derived osteoblasts from Thoroughbred horses. Anim Genet 2025 Feb;56(1):e13504.
          doi: 10.1111/age.13504pubmed: 39801206google scholar: lookup
        23. Bogossian PM, Nattala U, Wong ASM, Morrice-West AV, Zhang GZ, Rana P, Whitton RC, Hitchens PL. A machine learning approach to identify stride characteristics predictive of musculoskeletal injury, enforced rest and retirement in Thoroughbred racehorses. Sci Rep 2024 Nov 22;14(1):28967.
          doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-79071-1pubmed: 39578597google scholar: lookup
        24. Palomino Lago E, Baird A, Blott SC, McPhail RE, Ross AC, Durward-Akhurst SA, Guest DJ. A Functional Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Upstream of the Collagen Type III Gene Is Associated with Catastrophic Fracture Risk in Thoroughbred Horses. Animals (Basel) 2023 Dec 28;14(1).
          doi: 10.3390/ani14010116pubmed: 38200847google scholar: lookup
        Subscribe to our newsletter
        Join 99,034 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.