TY - JOUR

T1 - Adaptation strategies of horses with induced forelimb lameness walking on a treadmill

AU - Serra Bragança, Filipe M.

AU - Hernlund, Elin

AU - Thomsen, Maj H.

AU - Waldern, Nina M.

AU - Rhodin, Marie

AU - Byström, Anna

AU - van Weeren, P. René

AU - Weishaupt, Michael A.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Background: There is a paucity of research describing the gait pattern of lame horses at the walk. Objectives: To describe the changes in motion pattern and vertical ground reaction forces (GRFz) in horses with induced forelimb lameness at the walk and compare those changes with the changes observed at the trot. Study design: Experimental study. Methods: In 10 clinically sound Warmblood horses, moderate forelimb lameness was induced using a sole pressure model followed by trot and walk on a treadmill. Kinematic data were collected using 3D optical motion capture (OMC), and GRFz by an instrumented treadmill. Mixed models were used to compare sound baseline versus forelimb lameness (significance was set at P <.05). Results: Lameness induction significantly reduced peak GRFz on the second force peak, and vertical impulse in the lame limb. Stride and stance duration in all limbs were reduced. Lameness significantly affected the vertical movement symmetry of the head and withers. Maximum limb retraction angle, fetlock extension and protraction speed were reduced in the lame limb. Body centre of mass (COM) translation was reduced in the side-to-side direction and increased in the vertical and fore-aft directions. Several compensatory kinetic and kinematic changes were observed in the nonlame limbs. The observed changes in both kinetics and kinematics were generally smaller at walk with fewer variables being affected, compared to the trot. Main limitations: Only one degree and type of orthopaedic pain (sole pressure) was studied. Conclusions: Compensatory strategies of forelimb lameness at the walk include alteration of several kinetic and kinematic parameters and have some specific patterns and inter-individual differences that are not seen at the trot. However, much like at the trot, head movement and forelimb vertical force symmetry seem to be the most useful parameters to detect forelimb lameness at walk.

AB - Background: There is a paucity of research describing the gait pattern of lame horses at the walk. Objectives: To describe the changes in motion pattern and vertical ground reaction forces (GRFz) in horses with induced forelimb lameness at the walk and compare those changes with the changes observed at the trot. Study design: Experimental study. Methods: In 10 clinically sound Warmblood horses, moderate forelimb lameness was induced using a sole pressure model followed by trot and walk on a treadmill. Kinematic data were collected using 3D optical motion capture (OMC), and GRFz by an instrumented treadmill. Mixed models were used to compare sound baseline versus forelimb lameness (significance was set at P <.05). Results: Lameness induction significantly reduced peak GRFz on the second force peak, and vertical impulse in the lame limb. Stride and stance duration in all limbs were reduced. Lameness significantly affected the vertical movement symmetry of the head and withers. Maximum limb retraction angle, fetlock extension and protraction speed were reduced in the lame limb. Body centre of mass (COM) translation was reduced in the side-to-side direction and increased in the vertical and fore-aft directions. Several compensatory kinetic and kinematic changes were observed in the nonlame limbs. The observed changes in both kinetics and kinematics were generally smaller at walk with fewer variables being affected, compared to the trot. Main limitations: Only one degree and type of orthopaedic pain (sole pressure) was studied. Conclusions: Compensatory strategies of forelimb lameness at the walk include alteration of several kinetic and kinematic parameters and have some specific patterns and inter-individual differences that are not seen at the trot. However, much like at the trot, head movement and forelimb vertical force symmetry seem to be the most useful parameters to detect forelimb lameness at walk.

KW - compensatory mechanisms

KW - horse

KW - kinematics

KW - kinetics

KW - trot

KW - walk

U2 - 10.1111/evj.13344

DO - 10.1111/evj.13344

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 32888199

AN - SCOPUS:85091383810

VL - 53

SP - 600

EP - 611

JO - Equine Veterinary Journal

JF - Equine Veterinary Journal

SN - 0425-1644

IS - 3

ER -