Simulated Kick Injury to the Mandible in Horses: Study of Fracture Configurations and Physical Parameters of the Impact.
Abstract: The goal of this study was to generate mandibular fractures in three regions of the diastema using a metal impactor to simulate a kick from a horse and to determine the mean deceleration in the initial phase of the impact event, the maximum contact force, the impact energy necessary to create a fracture and the duration of the impact. Methods: Thirty heads of horses aged between 5 and 20 years and euthanatized for various reasons were used. The heads were attached to a steel bar at the occiput at an axial angle of 45 degrees so that the body of the mandible was positioned horizontally and directly under the trajectory of the impactor. A 2 kg solid impactor was dropped with velocities of 6 to 14 m/s to simulate a kick from a horse. The impact was recorded using a high-speed video camera with a frame rate of 30,000 frames per second. Radiographs of the heads were obtained before and after the simulated kick. Results: Mandibular fractures with configurations similar to those seen in clinical practice were generated at all three locations. The mean deceleration increased with impact velocity and with more cranially located impact positions. Absorbed energy increased with increasing impact velocity when no fracture was generated. Conclusions: The susceptibility to experimental fracture of the diastema increased from rostral to caudal locations, which is most probably caused by decreasing mandibular bone strength and an increase in the curvature at the lateroventral aspect of the mandible in that region. Physical parameters depended on fracture occurrence and type.
Thieme. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2022-07-15 PubMed ID: 35839837DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1748878Google 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.
- Journal Article
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 research investigates the configuration of mandibular fractures in horses caused by simulated kicks and the impact’s physical parameters associated with such injuries. This study does so by using a metal impactor on cadaver horse heads to emulate ahorse’s kick.
Methods
- The study used thirty horse heads from animals aged between 5 and 20 years that had been euthanized for various reasons.
- These heads were affixed to a steel bar at an axial angle of 45 degrees, which placed the mandible, or lower jawbone, in a horizontal position directly beneath the impactor’s trajectory.
- A two-kilogram solid impactor was dropped at speeds ranging from 6 to 14 m/s to mimic a horse kick.
- A high-speed video camera set at 30,000 frames per second was used to record the impact.
- Radiographic images of the heads were taken before and after the induced impact to study the effect.
Results
- The impacts generated fractures on the mandible at all three locations studied, and these fractures closely mimic those seen in real-life circumstances.
- The study found that the average deceleration increased with the impact velocity and more cranially located impact points.
- The energy absorbed increased with the increasing impact velocity, specifically when there was no fracture.
Conclusions
- The research suggested that the susceptibility to fractures in the area between the teeth (diastema) increased from the front (rostral) to the back (caudal) locations. This likely owing to the degrading strength of the mandibular bone in combination with an increase in curvature at the lateroventral area of the mandible in this region.
- The physical parameters, such as deceleration, contact force, impact energy, and duration, were found to depend on the occurrence and type of the fracture.
Cite This Article
APA
Gfrerer L, Michel S, Fürst AE, Piskoty G, Weisse B, Montavon S, Jackson MA.
(2022).
Simulated Kick Injury to the Mandible in Horses: Study of Fracture Configurations and Physical Parameters of the Impact.
Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol, 35(4), 255-262.
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-1748878 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Department, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Mechanical Systems Engineering Laboratory, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
- Equine Department, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Mechanical Systems Engineering Laboratory, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
- Mechanical Systems Engineering Laboratory, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
- Veterinary Department of the Swiss Armed Forces, Bern, Switzerland.
- Equine Department, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Diastema
- Horse Diseases
- Horses
- Mandible
- Mandibular Fractures / veterinary
- Steel
Conflict of Interest Statement
None declared.
Citations
This article has been cited 0 times.Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
