Kinematic evaluation of the back in the sport horse with back pain

Abstract

Summary Reasons for performing study: Earlier studies have developed a clinical tool to evaluate objectively the function of the equine back. The ability to differentiate horses with back pain from asymptomatic, fully functioning horses using kinematic measures from this tool has not been evaluated. Objectives: To compare the kinematics of the back at walk and trot in riding horses with back dysfunction to the same parameters in asymptomatic sport horses. Methods: The kinematics of the back in 12 horses with impaired performance and back pain were studied at walk and trot on a treadmill. Data were captured for 10 secs at 240 Hz. Range of movement (ROM) and intravertebral pattern symmetry of movement for flexion and extension (FE), lateral bending (LB) and axial rotation (AR) were derived from angular motion pattern data and the results compared to an earlier established database on asymptomatic riding horses. Results: At walk, horses with back dysfunction had a ROM smaller for dorsoventral FE in the caudal thoracic region (T13 = 7.50°, T17 = 7.71°; P<0.05), greater for LB at T13 (8.13°; P<0.001) and smaller for AR of the pelvis (10.97°; P<0.05) compared to asymptomatic horses (FE‐T13 = 8.28°, FE‐T17 = 8.49°, LB‐T13 = 6.34°, AR‐pelvis = 12.77°). At trot, dysfunctional horses had a smaller (P<0.05) ROM for FE at the thoracic lumbar junction (T17 = 2.46°, L1 = 2.60°) compared to asymptomatic horses (FE‐T17 = 3.07°, FE‐L1 = 3.12°). Conclusions: The objective measurement technique can detect differences between back kinematics in riding horses with signs of back dysfunction and asymptomatic horses. The clinical manifestation of back pain results in diminished flexion/extension movement at or near the thoracic lumbar junction. However, before applying the method more extensively in practice it is necessary to evaluate it further, including measurements of patients whose diagnoses can be confirmed and long‐term follow‐ups of back patients after treatment. Potential relevance: Since the objective measurement technique can detect small movement differences in back kinematics, it should help to clinically describe and, importantly, objectively detect horses with back pain and dysfunction.

Functional morphology and three-dimensional kinematics of the thoraco-lumbar region of the spine of the two-toed sloth

“…A later study found maximal amplitudes of pelvic long-axis rotation in the tree-shrew of approximately 5deg (Schilling and Fischer, 1999). Wennerstrand et al observed mean long-axis rotation of 6deg in the pelvis of sport horses (Wennerstrand et al, 2004). In the present study, a much larger amplitude of 27deg was measured for the long-axis rotation of the sloth pelvis.…”

“…Although published quantifications of 3-D pelvic displacements during symmetric mammalian quadrupedalism are themselves scant (Jenkins and Camazine, 1977;Schilling and Fischer, 1999;Wennerstrand et al, 2004;Schmidt, 2005), the minute intervertebral movements associated with these displacements are even less well investigated. Efforts have been made to deduce intervertebral mobility from the morphology of the vertebrae (e.g.…”

Thoracolumbar movement in sound horses trotting in straight lines in hand and on the lunge and the relationship with hind limb symmetry or asymmetry

“…Equine spinal motion has been assessed in great detail in vitro (Jeffcott and Dalin, 1980; 50 Townsend et al, 1983) muscle pain (Wennerstrand et al, 2004). However, the constriction of camera calibration makes 58 it difficult and the high cost of multiple specialist cameras required to cover large areas (e.g.…”

Radiologic findings consistent with kissing spines syndrome in Chilean thoroughbreds horses

“…The horse's natural sport kinetic is affected with the presence of back pain (De Cocq, 2009), and have a limited range of motion of the thoracic spine for dorsoventral flexion and extension compared with asymptomatic horses (Wennerstrand et al, 2004). The lack of significant differences of the evaluated radiological signs found in the segments considered for analysis is disputable.…”