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Equine veterinary journal2022; 55(5); 862-871; doi: 10.1111/evj.13887

The influence of equine hoof conformation on the initiation and progression of laminitis.

Abstract: The health and performance of horses are significantly affected by diseases associated with the hoof. Laminitis is a critical hoof disease that causes pain and, potentially, severe hoof and bone pathology. Objective: To generate an equine hoof finite element (FE) model to investigate the impact of normal and toe-in hoof conformations on the degeneration (decrease in elastic modulus) of the laminar junction (LJ), as occurs in chronic laminitis. Methods: Computer software modelling. Methods: A hoof FE model was generated to investigate the biomechanics of hoof laminitis. A 3D model, consisting of nine components, was constructed from computed tomography scans of an equine left forelimb hoof. The model was loaded with 100 cycles of trotting. Two different centres of pressure (COP) paths representing normal and toe-in conformations were assigned to the model. LJ injury was modelled by degenerating the tissue's elastic modulus in the presence of excessive maximum principal stresses. Results: FE models successfully showed findings similar to clinical observations, confirming third phalanx (P3) dorsal rotation, a symmetric distal displacement of the P3 (2 mm at the lateral and medial sides) in the normal model, and an asymmetric distal displacement of the P3 (4 mm at the lateral and 1.5 mm at the medial side) in the toe-in model. The proximal distance between P3 and the ground after LJ degeneration in the current model was significantly different from experimental measurements from healthy hooves (P < 0.01). Conclusions: The inability to account for variations in population geometry and approximation of boundary conditions and system relations were the limitations of the current study. Conclusions: The distribution of LJ tissue degeneration was symmetric at the quarters in the normal hoof and in comparison, there was a lateral concentration of degeneration in the toe-in model. Unassigned: La salud y el desempeño atlético de los caballos son afectados por patologías asociadas al casco. La laminitis es una enfermedad critica del casco que causa dolor y, potencialmente, patología severa del casco y ósea. Objective: Generar un modelo finito del casco equino para investigar el impacto de la conformación normal y del dedo-hacia-adentro sobre la degeneración (reducción del módulo elástico) de la unión laminar (UL), como ocurre en la laminitis crónica. DISEÑO DEL ESTUDIO: Modelado por computadora. MÉTODOS: Un modelo de elemento finito (EF) de casco fue generado para investigar la biomecánica de la laminitis en el casco. Un modelo 3D, que consistía de nueve componentes, fue construido a partir de imágenes de tomografía computarizada de un casco equino izquierdo. El modelo fue cargado con 100 ciclos de trote. Dos vías con centros de presión (VCP) distintos representando la conformación normal y dedo-hacia-adentro fueron asignadas al modelo. La lesión de la UL fue modelada degenerando el modelo elástico del tejido en la presencia de estrés principales excesivos máximos. Results: Los modelos EF mostraron exitosamente hallazgos similares a las observaciones clínicas, confirmando que la rotación dorsal de la tercera falange (F3), con un desplazamiento distal simétrico de F3 (2 mm por medial y lateral) en el modelo normal, y un desplazamiento distal asimétrico de F3 (4 mm por lateral y 1.5 mm por medial) en el modelo dedo-hacia-adentro. La distancia proximal entre F3 y el suelo después de la degeneración de la UL en el modelo actual fue significativamente diferente de las mediciones experimentales de casco saludables (P < 0.01). Unassigned: La inhabilidad de tomar en cuenta las variaciones en la geometría de la población y la aproximación de condiciones marginales, y relaciones de sistemas fueron las limitantes de este estudio. Conclusions: La distribución de la degeneración del tejido de la UL fue simétrico en los cuartos en el casco normal, hubo una concentración lateral de la degeneración en el modelo dedo-hacia-adentro. PALABRAS CLAVE: laminitis, conformación del casco del caballo, centro de presión, método de elemento finito, modelo hiperelástico.
© 2022 The Authors. Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2022-11-14 PubMed ID: 36200564DOI: 10.1111/evj.13887Google 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 article examined how different shapes of horse hooves may influence the onset and progression of a painful hoof disease, laminitis. The researchers used computer-generated models to simulate normal and inward-turned (toe-in) hoof shapes, then observed how these shapes affected the hoof’s internal structures during simulated trots.

Objective and Methods

  • The primary goal of this research was to create a computerised model of a horse’s hoof in order to better understand how different hoof structures can impact the degeneration of the laminar junction (LJ), a vital structure within the hoof. This degeneration is a key characteristic of a condition known as chronic laminitis.
  • The researchers constructed a three-dimensional (3D) model based on CT scans of a horse’s left front hoof. This hoof was then subjected to the pressure and forces that would typically be experienced during trotting.
  • The team created two different models to simulate normal hoof conformation and toe-in conformation, respectively. These conformations differed mainly in the trajectory of the centre of pressure during trotting cycles.
  • Focusing on the maximum principal stress, the team then simulated the process of LJ degeneration due to injury by manipulating the tissue’s elastic modulus, a measure of its resistance to deformation upon loading.

Results

  • The computerised finite element models successfully highlighted clinical observations similar to the progression of laminitis. One of the symptoms, dorsal rotation of the third phalanx (P3 or the innermost bone in the hoof), was accurately represented in the 3D models.
  • The ‘normal’ construction of the hoof model displayed a symmetric 2mm distal displacement (downward shift) of P3. Conversely, the ‘toe-in’ model led to an asymmetric 4mm displacement on the lateral side and 1.5mm on the medial side.
  • The space between the P3 and the ground after LJ degeneration in the model was significantly different when compared with experimental measurements from healthy hooves, indicating a degree of realism and accuracy in the created models.

Limitations and Conclusion

  • This study has some limitations, namely the inability to account for variations in the overall population’s hoof geometry, and the potentially oversimplified assumptions made regarding the boundary conditions and system relations within the model.
  • The patterns of tissue degeneration within the hoof were symmetrically distributed in the case of normal hoof conformation, whereas the toe-in model displayed a shifted, or lateral concentration of degeneration.
  • This paper’s findings provide an important stepping stone towards understanding how hoof shape can influence the progression of debilitating diseases such as laminitis.

Cite This Article

APA
Akbari Shahkhosravi N, Kakavand R, Davies HMS, Komeili A. (2022). The influence of equine hoof conformation on the initiation and progression of laminitis. Equine Vet J, 55(5), 862-871. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13887

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 55
Issue: 5
Pages: 862-871

Researcher Affiliations

Akbari Shahkhosravi, Naeim
  • Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
  • Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Kakavand, Reza
  • Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Davies, Helen M S
  • Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Komeili, Amin
  • Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

MeSH Terms

  • Horses
  • Animals
  • Hoof and Claw / pathology
  • Horse Diseases / pathology
  • Extremities
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Foot Diseases / pathology
  • Foot Diseases / veterinary

Grant Funding

  • University of Melbourne

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