The influence of aluminium, steel and polyurethane shoeing systems and of the unshod hoof on the injury risk of a horse kick. An ex vivo experimental study.
Abstract: To evaluate the damage inflicted by an unshod hoof and by the various horseshoe materials (steel, aluminium and polyurethane) on the long bones of horses after a simulated kick. Methods: Sixty-four equine radii and tibiae were evaluated using a drop impact test setup. An impactor with a steel, aluminium, polyurethane, or hoof horn head was dropped onto prepared bones. An impactor velocity of 8 m/s was initially used with all four materials and then testing was repeated with a velocity of 12 m/s with the polyurethane and hoof horn heads. The impact process was analysed using a high-speed camera, and physical parameters, including peak contact force and impact duration, were calculated. Results: At 8 m/s, the probability of a fracture was 75% for steel and 81% for aluminium, whereas polyurethane and hoof horn did not damage the bones. At 12 m/s, the probability of a fracture was 25% for polyurethane and 12.5% for hoof horn. The peak contact force and impact duration differed significantly between 'hard materials' (aluminium and steel) and 'soft materials' (polyurethane and hoof horn). Conclusions: The observed bone injuries were similar to those seen in analogous experimental studies carried out previously and comparable to clinical fracture cases suggesting that the simulated kick was realistic. The probability of fracture was significantly higher for steel and aluminium than for polyurethane and hoof horn, which suggests that the horseshoe material has a significant influence on the risk of injury for humans or horses kicked by a horse.
Publication Date: 2017-08-01 PubMed ID: 28763524DOI: 10.3415/VCOT-17-01-0003Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This study aimed to assess how different horseshoe materials (steel, aluminium, and polyurethane), as well as an unshod hoof, affect the risk of injury from a horse kick by causing damage to horse bones.
Methods
- The researchers used sixty-four horse radii and tibiae (long bones) to test the impact of different horseshoe materials.
- They created an impactor with a head made from either steel, aluminium, polyurethane, or hoof horn to simulate a horse kick.
- These impactors were dropped onto the prepared bones at speeds of 8 m/s for all four materials, and again at 12 m/s for polyurethane and hoof horn.
- The process was analysed using a high-speed camera to capture the details of the impact and to calculate physical parameters like peak contact force and impact duration.
Results
- At a speed of 8 m/s, the chance of a bone fracture was 75% for steel and 81% for aluminium, whereas there were no fractures caused by the polyurethane and hoof horn based kicks.
- At a higher speed of 12 m/s, the chance of concussion was still significantly lower at 25% for polyurethane and just 12.5% for hoof horn.
- When comparing the physical parameters, the researchers found that the peak contact force and impact duration differed significantly between hard materials (aluminium and steel) and soft materials (polyurethane and hoof horn).
Conclusions
- The researchers found that the bone damage observed in their experiment was similar to that found in previous, similar experiments, as well as clinical fracture cases, indicating that their simulation was realistic.
- They concluded that the material of the horseshoe significantly influenced the risk of injury, as kicks with shoes made of steel and aluminium were much more likely to lead to fractures than those from polyurethane shoes or unshod hooves.
Cite This Article
APA
Sprick M, Fürst A, Baschnagel F, Michel S, Piskoty G, Hartnack S, Jackson MA.
(2017).
The influence of aluminium, steel and polyurethane shoeing systems and of the unshod hoof on the injury risk of a horse kick. An ex vivo experimental study.
Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol, 30(5), 339-345.
https://doi.org/10.3415/VCOT-17-01-0003 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Michelle A. Jackson, Dr. med. vet., Dipl. ECVS, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH - 8057 Zurich, Switzerland, Phone: +41 44 635 8473, Fax: +41 44 635 89 05, E-mail: mjackson@vetclinics.uzh.ch.
MeSH Terms
- Aluminum
- Animals
- Biomechanical Phenomena
- Hoof and Claw / physiology
- Horses / physiology
- Models, Biological
- Polyurethanes
- Steel
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Hartnack S, Roos M. Teaching: confidence, prediction and tolerance intervals in scientific practice: a tutorial on binary variables.. Emerg Themes Epidemiol 2021 Dec 4;18(1):17.
- Moore LV, Zsoldos RR, Licka TF. Trot Accelerations of Equine Front and Hind Hooves Shod with Polyurethane Composite Shoes and Steel Shoes on Asphalt.. Animals (Basel) 2019 Dec 11;9(12).
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