Noncatastrophic and catastrophic fractures in racing Thoroughbreds at the Hong Kong Jockey Club

Sun, Tsim Christopher; Riggs, C. M.; Cogger, Naomi; Wright, John D.; Alawneh, J. I.

doi:10.1111/evj.12953

Cited by 30 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However, caution should be exercised when interpreting these findings. The significant heterogeneity indicates that we are not comparing equivalent studies, and the variability between studies is too high [ 63 ]. This high variability is preventing a reliable assessment of the effect of these measures of HSEH on MSI.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Combined Training and Racing High-Speed Exercise History on Musculoskeletal Injuries in Thoroughbred Racehorses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Current Literature

Crawford

Ahern

Perkins

et al. 2020

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Despite over three decades of active research, musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) remain a global problem for the Thoroughbred (TB) racing industry. High-speed exercise history (HSEH) has been identified as an important risk factor for MSI. However, the nature of this relationship remains unclear, with an apparent protective effect of HSE against injury, before it becomes potentially harmful. Many MSI cases and fatalities occur during training rather than during racing, resulting in an underestimation of injury from studies focused on race day. The objective of this study was to examine the current evidence of the effect of combined training and racing HSEH on MSI in TB flat racehorses, through a systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic search of the relevant literature was performed using PubMed®, Scopus®, Web of Science®, and Embase® online databases and the gray literature using sites containing “.edu” or “.edu.au”. Studies included in the review had explored seven different measures of HSE, including total career HSE distance, cumulative HSE distance in the 30 and 60 days before MSI, average HSE distance per day, per event and per 30 days, and the total number of HSE events. The total cumulative career HSE distance significantly affected the odds of MSI, with every 5-furlong increase, the odds of MSI increased by 2% (OR = 1.02; 95% CI 1.01, 1.03; p = 0.004). The average HSE distance per day also affected the odds of MSI, with every additional furlong increasing the odds of MSI by 73% (OR = 1.73; 95% CI 1.29, 2.31; p < 0.001). Other measures of HSE were not found to be consistently associated with risk of MSI, but these results should be interpreted with caution. Significant methodological limitations were identified and influence the comparability of studies. Standardizing the measures of HSE in studies of MSI, and describing training conditions in more detail, would support a more thorough investigation of the relationship between HSE and MSI. An improved understanding of this relationship is critical to mitigating the impact of MSI in the Thoroughbred racehorse.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Combined Training and Racing High-Speed Exercise History on Musculoskeletal Injuries in Thoroughbred Racehorses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Current Literature

Crawford

Ahern

Perkins

et al. 2020

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Fatal MSI were evenly distributed between two-year-old (6/12, 50%) and older horses (6/12, 50%) in this study. Other studies have also found that the occurrence of fatal MSI was not affected by age [5,17,34].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…However, this was not significant for injuries overall [33]. Other studies report age did not affect the incidence of MSI [5,17,34]. The inconsistent association between age and MSI may be due to variation in case definitions, study populations, and geographical locations, or a combination of these factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…However, since our outcome was a clinically relevant injury rather than abnormal findings on survey radiographs, we included horses with fracture fragments of all sizes if they were diagnosed as the reason that the horse was unable to train. Excluding these fragments could significantly under-report the occurrence of MSI, as small carpal and metacarpophalangeal fractures are an important cause of morbidity [34,39]. Similarly, we included developmental diseases including osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and cervical stenotic myelopathy (CSM) as, even though these conditions can be present with no clinical significance, they can also prevent a horse from training.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Appraising the Welfare of Thoroughbred Racehorses in Training in Queensland, Australia: The Incidence and Type of Musculoskeletal Injuries Vary between Two-Year-Old and Older Thoroughbred Racehorses

Crawford

Finnane

Greer

et al. 2020

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) remain a concerning cause of racehorse morbidity and mortality with important ethical and welfare consequences. Previous research examining risk factors for MSI report inconsistent findings. Age is thought to affect MSI risk, but, to date, there have been no prospective studies comparing MSI in two-year-old versus older horses. This study aimed to: (1) determine the incidence of MSI for two-year-old and older horses, and whether this was affected by training track, season, or rainfall, and (2) determine the types of MSI affecting two-year-old and older horses, and whether horses trialled or raced after injury. A prospective survey was conducted with data collected through personal structured weekly interviews with participating trainers over a 13-month period. Data were analysed using Poisson regression. The incidence of MSI in the current study was low (0.6%). The incidence of MSI in two-year-old horses was higher than older horses (p < 0.001). Types of MSI varied between two-year-old and older horses (p < 0.001) and affected whether horses subsequently trailed or raced from 11 to 23 months after injury (p < 0.001). A larger proportion of two-year-old horses had dorsal metacarpal disease and traumatic lacerations. A smaller proportion of two-year-old horses had suspensory ligament desmitis, superficial digital flexor tendonitis, proximal sesamoid bone fractures, and fetlock joint injuries than older horses. Training track and rainfall did not affect MSI. The season affected MSI in two-year-old horses (p < 0.001) but not older horses. The major limitation was that trainers in this study were metropolitan (city) and our findings may not be generalisable to racehorses in regional (country) areas. Another significant limitation was the assumption that MSI was the reason for failure to trial or race after injury. In conclusion, the incidence of MSI was low in the current study and the types and the risk factors for MSI are different for two-year-old and older horses.

show abstract

“…), and in Hong Kong (Sun et al . ). While this study has only been conducted on a limited number of horses, results indicate that racing horses with symptoms of TJS carries a low risk of catastrophic breakdown in the fetlock during racing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Tropical joint syndrome: Exostosis on the dorsal aspect of the proximal phalanx in racing Thoroughbreds in Asia

Shaw¹,

Rosanowski

2019

Equine Veterinary Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary Tropical joint syndrome (TJS) is poorly documented in the published literature but appears to be associated with horses undergoing intensive training in tropical areas: South East Asia and Northern Australia. Tropical joint syndrome is characterised by a firm, often nonpainful swelling at the front of the fetlock, which has a slow and insidious onset. Swelling associated with TJS can reach an alarming size, with a marked loss of fetlock flexion. Radiographs reveal varying degrees of exostosis, initially on the dorsolateral aspect of proximal phalanx (P1) but, as the condition progresses, onto the dorsomedial P1 and distal dorsal third metacarpal bone. A survey of equine veterinarians employed in racing practices in Southeast Asia and Australia (n = 10) was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of this condition and treatment methods. Additionally, a retrospective study of clinical records was undertaken at the Singapore Turf Club to identify horses with TJS, with racing performance post‐diagnosis compared with matched controls. All 10 racing veterinarians responded to the survey. All respondents recognised TJS in horses in their practice as ‘new bone deposits of unknown origin’, with most estimating prevalence between 1 and 10% in their population of horses. The most common treatment for TJS was intra‐articular medication (n = 9) and/or shockwave therapy. In total, 79 horses had TJS diagnosed by equine veterinarians at the Singapore Turf Club between 2008 and 2015, 64 of which had complete race records. There was no significant difference in racing performance between horses with and without TJS. However, 29 cases that were retired from racing were retired with chronic, severe and irreversible fetlock pain. The high number of horses retired with fetlock pain due to TJS is a welfare concern. More research is required to identify management and treatment strategies to aid in dealing with this condition.

show abstract

Noncatastrophic and catastrophic fractures in racing Thoroughbreds at the Hong Kong Jockey Club

Cited by 30 publications

References 29 publications

The Effect of Combined Training and Racing High-Speed Exercise History on Musculoskeletal Injuries in Thoroughbred Racehorses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Current Literature

The Effect of Combined Training and Racing High-Speed Exercise History on Musculoskeletal Injuries in Thoroughbred Racehorses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Current Literature

Appraising the Welfare of Thoroughbred Racehorses in Training in Queensland, Australia: The Incidence and Type of Musculoskeletal Injuries Vary between Two-Year-Old and Older Thoroughbred Racehorses

Tropical joint syndrome: Exostosis on the dorsal aspect of the proximal phalanx in racing Thoroughbreds in Asia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About