Development of a Novel Approach for Detection of Equine Lameness Based on Inertial Sensors: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Both as an aid for less experienced clinicians and to enhance objectivity and sharp clinical skills in professionals, quantitative technologies currently bring the equine lameness diagnostic closer to evidence-based veterinary medicine. The present paper describes an original, inertial sensor-based wireless device system, the Lameness Detector 0.1, used in ten horses with different lameness degrees in one fore- or hind-leg. By recording the impulses on three axes of the incorporated accelerometer in each leg of the assessed horse, and then processing the data using custom-designed software, the device proved its usefulness in lameness identification and severity scoring. Mean impulse values on the horizontal axis calculated for five consecutive steps above 85, regardless of the leg, indicated the slightest subjectively recognizable lameness, increasing to 130 in severe gait impairment. The range recorded on the same axis (between 61.2 and 67.4) in the sound legs allowed a safe cut-off value of 80 impulses for diagnosing a painful limb. The significance of various comparisons and several correlations highlighted the potential of this simple, affordable, and easy-to-use lameness detector device for further standardization as an aid for veterinarians in diagnosing lameness in horses.

Inertial Sensor Technologies—Their Role in Equine Gait Analysis, a Review

“…The EquiMoves system consists of eight Promove-mini wireless IMUs connected to a computer and measures acceleration, angular velocity (gyroscope), and magnetic field intensity [ 28 ]. Our group has also described an original, sensor-based IMU system, Lameness Detector 0.1, for quantification of lameness in horses with different lameness degrees in one fore- or hind limb [ 25 ].…”

“…Techniques using wireless, sensor-based inertial measurement units (IMUs) are becoming more popular as a tool for objective locomotor assessment in horses and are considered a versatile and cost-effective alternative to FP and OMC systems [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]. A system of small IMU sensors attached to different body segments of the horse (head, withers, pelvis, forelimbs, and hind limbs) allows for data collection during unrestricted movement and for investigation of gait parameters outside the laboratory [ 24 , 25 ]. IMU systems have found large applicability in gait event analysis to detect, localize, and quantify lameness, to objectivize results of flexion tests and/or perineural anesthesia [ 26 , 27 ], to evaluate of horse–rider interactions, and to set up of effective training and coaching sessions [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ].…”

Objective Assessment of Equine Locomotor Symmetry Using an Inertial Sensor System and Artificial Intelligence: A Comparative Study

“…These sensors are considered accurate and precise because they provide measurement parameters that are consistent with subjective visual assessments of lameness, along with data collected from force plate analysis. They have proven to be sensitive to small changes in movement symmetry, as observed in horses with experimentally induced lameness [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ].…”