Ultrasound tissue characterisation of the superficial digital flexor tendons in juvenile Thoroughbred racehorses during early race training.
Abstract: Injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) are one of the leading causes of Thoroughbred (TB) wastage. Increasingly, the aim is to prevent injury rather than treat it. Conventional ultrasonography is not sufficiently sensitive to accurately monitor tendon and predict injury. Ultrasound tissue characterisation (UTC) is a relatively new technique, which improves tendon characterisation by providing a 3-dimensional (3D) SDFT reconstruction and objective calculation of fibre alignment by classifying fibres into one of 4 echo-types. Objective: To report a reference range of echo-types in a population of normal juvenile TB racehorses. It was hypothesised that: UTC would be easy to use on juvenile TB racehorses in a field setting; that results would be repeatable; that the UTC would demonstrate a physiologic response of the tendon and, finally, that the technique would allow monitoring of the SDFT for early detection of degenerative changes. Methods: Prospective longitudinal cohort pilot study. Methods: Thirty-two TB yearling racehorses were recruited. UTC measurements of bilateral forelimb SDFTs were taken every 60-90 days. The proportion of 4 echo-types were quantified as a relative percentage at specific zones over the length of the SDFT. Relationships were assessed by paired T tests or Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Results: Mean percentage for echo-type I fibres were >85%; echo-type II fibres were <15%, with negligible echo-type III and IV. Significant right to left limb, zonal, and temporal differences in echo-type were identified. Conclusions: No control group of untrained horses, limiting ability to differentiate whether findings were training-related as opposed to age-related changes. Conclusions: Changes in SDFT characterisation over the first 6 months of training were identified. UTC may provide useful objective information when assessing juvenile SDFTs. The Summary is available in Spanish - see Supporting Information.
© 2018 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2018-09-18 PubMed ID: 30125384DOI: 10.1111/evj.13006Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The study evaluates the effectiveness of Ultrasound Tissue Characterisation (UTC) in detecting changes in the superficial digital flexor tendons (SDFT) of juvenile Thoroughbred racehorses during their early training period. The aim was to identify a reference range of tendon echo-types and see if UTC can be used for early detection of potential injuries.
Research Methodology
- The research team conducted a prospective longitudinal cohort pilot study involving thirty-two Thoroughbred yearling racehorses.
- They made use of UTC to take measurements of the SDFTs of the horses’ forelimbs at intervals of 60-90 days.
- The fibres within the SDFT were classified into one of four echo-types, and their proportions were quantified as a relative percentage at specific zones over the length of the SDFT.
- The correlation between these measurements was assessed using paired T tests or Wilcoxon signed rank tests.
Results
- The average percentage for echo-type I fibres was found to be greater than 85%, while that of echo-type II fibres was less than 15%. The counts for echo-type III and IV were negligible.
- Significant variations were discovered in the echo-types between the right and left limbs of the horses, as well as across different zones and times.
Conclusions
- The study found changes in the SDFT characterisation over the first six months of training. Therefore, it was concluded that UTC could provide crucial information when assessing juvenile SDFTs.
- However, the study highlighted the lack of a control group of untrained horses, which restricted their ability to determine whether the findings were related to training or simply age-related changes.
Implications
- The findings suggest the potential utility of UTC in monitoring the condition of juvenile racehorse tendons. This could help in early detection and prevention of injuries, contributing to the overall health and longevity of racehorses.
- The research also highlighted areas for improvement in future studies, such as including a control group to better differentiate training-related changes from age-related changes.
Cite This Article
APA
Plevin S, McLellan J, van Schie H, Parkin T.
(2018).
Ultrasound tissue characterisation of the superficial digital flexor tendons in juvenile Thoroughbred racehorses during early race training.
Equine Vet J, 51(3), 349-355.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13006 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Florida Equine Veterinary Associates, Ocala, Florida, USA.
- Florida Equine Veterinary Associates, Ocala, Florida, USA.
- Department of Equine Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- University of Glasgow, School of Veterinary Medicine, Glasgow, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cohort Studies
- Female
- Forelimb / diagnostic imaging
- Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging
- Horses
- Male
- Pilot Projects
- Risk Factors
- Running
- Tendon Injuries / diagnostic imaging
- Tendon Injuries / veterinary
- Tendons / diagnostic imaging
- Ultrasonography / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- O' Brien C, Pegg J. A Preliminary Investigation into Ridden Water Submersion Training as an Adjunct to Current Condition Training Protocols in Performance Horses.. Animals (Basel) 2021 Sep 7;11(9).
- Ziegler AL, Freeman CK, Fogle CA, Burke MJ, Davis JL, Cook VL, Southwood LL, Blikslager AT. Multicentre, blinded, randomised clinical trial comparing the use of flunixin meglumine with firocoxib in horses with small intestinal strangulating obstruction.. Equine Vet J 2019 May;51(3):329-335.
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