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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Western performance horses with fetlock lameness demonstrate...
Equine veterinary journal2025; doi: 10.1111/evj.14514

Western performance horses with fetlock lameness demonstrate radiographic evidence of chronic exercise remodelling.

Abstract: Pathological changes of the fetlock joint are well documented in Thoroughbreds, but little information is available describing the common radiographic findings in western performance horses with fetlock lameness. Objective: To describe radiographic findings in western performance horses with fetlock lameness. It was hypothesised that the degree of lameness would correlate with the severity of radiographic findings. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Retrospective review (2012-2022) of horses with lameness isolated to the fetlock joint via intra-articular analgesia and corresponding radiographs was included. Signalment, lameness, flexion, and effusion grades were recorded. Radiographs were evaluated for presence, severity, and location of pathology. Subjective radiographic severity scores were assigned. Correlations between outcome parameters were evaluated with Spearman's correlation coefficient. Statistically significant changes in median lameness grades for each radiographic abnormality were determined using the Wilcoxon Rank Sum test. Results: Ninety cases met inclusion criteria. Radiographic lesions were identified in 96.7% of cases. Distal cannon bone sclerosis, periarticular osteophytes, increased soft tissue opacity, proximal phalanx (P1) sclerosis, and subchondral bone (SCB) defects were most common. Horses with SCB cysts (median 3; Interquartile range (IQR) 2.25-3.75; p < 0.05), P1 fissures (median 3; IQR 3-3; p < 0.05), or proximal P1 sclerosis (median 2; IQR 2-3; p < 0.05) had significantly higher median lameness grades. No significant correlation was established between overall radiographic score and lameness grade (r = 0.16, p > 0.05). Conclusions: Outcome parameters were not captured for every horse due to retrospective design. Diagnostic analgesia has inherent limitations with specificity and interpretation of results. Using multiple clinicians may have led to inconsistencies in lameness grade, flexion response, and improvement after diagnostic analgesia. Conclusions: Horses in this study demonstrated changes associated with chronic exercise-induced remodelling and degenerative joint disease. While the degree of lameness did not correlate with the overall radiographic score, certain radiographic findings-P1 sclerosis, SCB cysts, and P1 fissures-were correlated with a higher degree of lameness.
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Publication Date: 2025-05-19 PubMed ID: 40384350DOI: 10.1111/evj.14514Google 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.

The researchers conducted a retrospective study on western performance horses suffering from fetlock lameness to investigate its radiographic findings and to determine if the severity of lameness correlates with the severity of radiographic findings. The study discovered that while overall radiographic score didn’t correlate with the degree of lameness, specific radiographic indications were associated with a higher level of lameness.

Research Objective and Hypothesis

  • The main objective of this research was to describe the radiographic findings in western performance horses suffering from lameness in the fetlock joint. Fetlock lameness in thoroughbreds is well documented but there is a lack of information regarding its occurrence in western performance horses.
  • The study hypothesized that the level of lameness in a horse would correspond with the radiographic findings, implying a greater level of lameness would be accompanied by more severe radiographic abnormalities.

Methodology

  • The study was a retrospective case series where horses suffering from fetlock lameness between the years 2012-2022 were examined and a review of their corresponding radiographs was conducted.
  • The researchers recorded several factors including lameness, flexion, effusion grades, and signalment (a veterinary term describing a horse’s age, breed, sex, and color).
  • A range of radiographic abnormalities were assessed for presence, severity, and location within the fetlock joint.
  • A statistical analysis was performed to find correlations between lameness severity and radiographic findings and to identify significant changes in median lameness grades corresponding to each radiographic abnormality.

Findings

  • Radiographic abnormalities were found in 96.7% of the 90 cases included in the study. Most commonly identified were distal cannon bone sclerosis, periarticular osteophytes, increased soft tissue opacity, proximal phalanx (P1) sclerosis, and subchondral bone (SCB) defects.
  • Horses with SCB cysts, P1 fissures, or proximal P1 sclerosis had significantly higher median lameness grades.
  • However, the study could not establish a significant correlation between the level of lameness and the overall radiographic findings.

Conclusions

  • The researchers acknowledged certain limitations due to the study’s retrospective design, such as not capturing all outcome parameters for each horse and potential inconsistencies in assessing lameness grade and response after diagnostic analgesia due to multiple clinicians’ involvement.
  • The study concluded that the horses demonstrated changes associated with chronic exercise-induced remodelling and degenerative joint disease. However, the degree of lameness didn’t correlate with the overall radiographic score, even though specific radiographic findings (P1 sclerosis, SCB cysts, and P1 fissures) seemed to be associated with a higher lameness degree.

Cite This Article

APA
Solum G, Acutt E, Johnson SA, Zhou T, Contino EK, Donnell JR, Donnell A, Frisbie DD. (2025). Western performance horses with fetlock lameness demonstrate radiographic evidence of chronic exercise remodelling. Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14514

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Solum, Gabrielle
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Orthopaedic Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Acutt, Elizabeth
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Orthopaedic Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Johnson, Sherry A
  • Equine Sports Medicine, Pilot Point, Texas, USA.
Zhou, Tianjian
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Orthopaedic Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Contino, Erin K
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Orthopaedic Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Donnell, Josh R
  • Equine Sports Medicine, Pilot Point, Texas, USA.
Donnell, Alan
  • Equine Sports Medicine, Pilot Point, Texas, USA.
Frisbie, David D
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Orthopaedic Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.

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