Validation of a novel clinical tool for monitoring distal limb stiffness.
Abstract: To validate a novel technique to measure limb stiffness in a clinical setting. Unassigned: Three horses and three ponies owned by the Royal Veterinary College. Unassigned: Limb stiffness indices for both forelimbs were first derived using the gold standard of kinematic analysis. Using the same animals, limb stiffness indices were then calculated using portable floor scales to record weight and an electrogoniometer to record changes in metacarpophalangeal joint angle. The two techniques were then assessed for correlation and repeatability. Unassigned: The repeatability of limb stiffness measurement using the novel clinical tool was considered to be good based on a small coefficient of variation (5.70%). The correlation of limb stiffness as derived by both methods was high ( = 0.78, < 0.01). Limb stiffness was positively correlated with the mass of the subject ( = 0.85, < 0.01), with heavier horses having greater limb stiffness. Unassigned: This study has compared a novel method to measure distal forelimb stiffness non-invasively in a clinical setting to kinematic analysis in six equids. It has demonstrated that limb stiffness increases in a linear fashion with body mass consistent with the role of forelimbs providing energy storage. Because limb stiffness has been shown previously to alter with injury to the superficial digital flexor tendon, it is hypothesized that this technique will offer a practical technique for the clinician to assess limb stiffness in clinical cases. Further study will be necessary to determine its clinical usefulness in such cases.
Copyright © 2024 Jacklin, Hanousek, Gillespie, Liedtke, Tucker, Fiske-Jackson and Smith.
Publication Date: 2024-01-05 PubMed ID: 38249548PubMed Central: PMC10796727DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1271036Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research aimed to validate a new technique for measuring limb stiffness on horses and ponies, establishing that it is reliable and correlates strongly with body mass, suggesting potential utility in assessing limb injuries.
Summary of Research Purpose and Methods
- This study sought to test the validity of a new tool designed to measure the stiffness of distal limbs (forelimbs) in a clinical setting, using horses and ponies as subjects.
- The researchers first measured limb stiffness using the gold standard method, kinematic analysis. Next, they used the same animals to measure limb stiffness using the new method, which involved portable floor scales to record weight and an electrogoniometer to record changes in the angle of the metacarpophalangeal joint (the joint in the forelimb equivalent to the human knuckle).
- The two techniques were assessed for their correlation and repeatability, with the new method proving to be “good” due to a small coefficient of variation.
Primary Findings
- The new clinical tool was found to show good repeatability attributing to a small coefficient of variation (5.70%).
- There was a high correlation (0.78) between the limb stiffness measures using the new tool and the gold standard kinematic analysis method.
- Another significant finding was that limb stiffness was found to be positively associated with the mass of the subject. Heavier horses tended to have greater limb stiffness, and this increased in a linear fashion with body mass.
Significance and Potential Applications
- The study concluded that the newly tested method to assess forelimb stiffness non-invasively in a clinical setting proved reliable when compared to kinematic analysis in six equids (horses and ponies).
- Since the increase in limb stiffness has been found to correlate with injury to the superficial digital flexor tendon in the past, the authors suggest that this new tool could provide a practical way for clinicians to assess limb stiffness in cases of injury.
- However, further investigations are necessary to determine the clinical usefulness of this new tool for assessing such injuries.
Cite This Article
APA
Jacklin BD, Hanousek K, Gillespie S, Liedtke A, Tucker R, Fiske-Jackson A, Smith RK.
(2024).
Validation of a novel clinical tool for monitoring distal limb stiffness.
Front Vet Sci, 10, 1271036.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1271036 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- CVS Group Plc, Suffolk, United Kingdom.
- Equine Referral Hospital, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom.
- Equine Referral Hospital, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom.
- Equine Referral Hospital, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom.
- Liphook Equine Hospital, Hampshire, United Kingdom.
- Equine Referral Hospital, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom.
- Equine Referral Hospital, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom.
Conflict of Interest Statement
BJ was employed by CVS Group Plc. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.
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