Thermography of the superficial flexor tendon in race horses.

This research investigates the use of a technique called thermography, which measures infrared emissions, to detect early signs of tendon damage in racehorses, before these issues become clinically apparent.

Introduction and Objectives

• This study focuses on the use of thermography, a method that generates images based on the infra-red (IR) emissions from an object’s surface, to detect potential injuries or changes in the superficial flexor tendon (SFT) of racehorses.
• Since IR emission from biological surfaces comes primarily from circulation and metabolic processes, the researchers hypothesized that changes in IR patterns could be associated with altered vascular (blood circulation) properties in the tendons.
• The principal aim of this research was to determine at what stage tendon lesions could be identified through thermography, and to associate the clinical progression of tendon lesions with their thermographic indicators.

Selection and Thermographic Examination of Tendons

• The researchers performed thermographic examination of three groups of tendons.
• The first group consisted of 90 normal tendons from 45 racehorses, functioning as a control group to establish baseline thermographic readings.
• The second group involved 27 tendons in the acute stage of a lesion, and 14 in the chronic stage, coming from 19 and 11 horses respectively. This group was examined to understand the thermographic changes associated with different stages of tendon damage.
• The third group contained 66 tendons from 2- and 3-year-old racehorses, which were examined on a weekly basis for a duration of 4 months. The goal here was to monitor changes in thermographic patterns over time, potentially capturing early stages of tendon injury.

Significance of the Study

• The successful application of thermography for early detection of tendon lesions in racehorses could contribute to improved injury prevention and treatment strategies.
• By associating changes in IR emissions with altered blood circulation or metabolic rates in the tendon, the research could enhance understanding of the underlying mechanisms of tendon injury.
• Such results may also extend the application of thermography as a diagnostic tool in sports medicine for addressing similar injuries in other muscular or tendon tissues.