Epidemiology

CASE DESCRIPTION: 4 horses were examined because of signs of chronic hind limb lameness.

CLINICAL FINDINGS: 3 horses had a history of lameness for > 6 months; specific duration was unknown for 1 horse. On initial evaluation, grade 3 to 4 (on a scale from 1 to 5) hind limb lameness was present in all 4 horses. Radiography of the stifle joint of the affected limb revealed medial femoral condyle subchondral lucencies or subchondral cystic lesions (SCLs) in all 4 horses, medial femorotibial osteoarthritis in 3 horses, and medial tibial condyle SCLs in 3 horses.

Category: Bone - Epidemiology - Equine - Lameness
Authors: Andrea Beisser, BA; Scott McClure, DVM, PhD; Grant Rezabek, DVM, MPH; Keith H. Soring, DVM; Chong Wang, PhD
Journal: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

Objective—To determine the incidence and anatomic location of and potential risk factors for catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries (CMIs) in racing Quarter Horses.

Design—Retrospective matched case-control study.

Animals—67 racing Quarter Horse racehorses euthanized because of CMIs and 134 matched controls.

Authors: Benjamin J. Ahern, Raymond C. Boston, Michael W. Ross
Journal: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

Objective—To evaluate equids with enostosis-like lesions (ELLs) and document the clinical and epidemiological features of this disease. Design—Retrospective case series. Animals—79 equids with a scintigraphic diagnosis of at least 1 ELL on ≥ 1 occasion. Procedures—Medical records of 4,992 equids that underwent bone scintigraphy between March 1997 and March 2009 were reviewed; 78 horses and 1 pony had a scintigraphic diagnosis of an ELL. For those equids, signalment; physical, scintigraphic, radiographic, and lameness examination results; and outcome were reviewed.

Category: Bone - Epidemiology - Equine
Authors: C. E. Reix, C. C. Burn (nèe Broster), J. C. Pritchard, A. R. S. Barr and H. R. Whay
Journal: Equine Veterinary Journal

Reasons for performing the study Lameness is prevalent in working donkeys and has major welfare implications; however, a detailed study of the associated clinical signs is lacking. Objectives To describe the range and prevalence of clinical signs and conformation associated with lameness in working draught donkeys. Study design Prospective, cross-sectional, observational study. Methods Data were collected from 102 working draught donkeys in Pakistan.

Authors: P. I. Milner, D. A. Bardell, L. Warner, M. J. Packer, J. M. Senior, E. R. Singer and D. C. Archer
Journal: Equine Veterinary Journal

Reasons for performing study To determine risk factors involved in survival to hospital discharge of cases of synovial sepsis. Objectives Investigate pre-, intra- and post operative factors involved in short-term survival of horses undergoing endoscopic treatment for synovial sepsis. Study design Retrospective case series. Methods Clinical data were obtained for horses (>6 months old) undergoing endoscopic surgery as part of management for synovial sepsis over a 7-year period in a single hospital population. Descriptive data were generated for pre-, intra- and post operative variables.

Authors: James L. Carmalt, Hanna Borg, Hans Näslund, Cheryl Waldner
Journal: The Veterinary Journal

The aim of this study was to determine whether horses with a proximal palmar/plantar first phalangeal osteochondral fragment (POF) had comparable racing careers (prior to and following surgery) to horses without this fracture. A retrospective cohort study included 174 Swedish Standardbred trotters with osteochondral fragmentation in the palmar/plantar fetlock joint and 613 radiographically negative control horses presented for prepurchase examinations. Medical records and radiographs were examined for each horse.

Authors: M. A. Jackson, A. L. Vizard, G. A. Anderson, J. S. Mattoon, R. B. Lavelle, B. T. Smithenson, N. V. Lester, A. F. Clarke and R. C. Whitton
Journal: Equine Veterinary Journal

Summary
Reasons for performing study

Radiography is commonly used in clinical practice but agreement of reporting of radiographically detected orthopaedic findings in horses has rarely been studied.
Objectives

To assess agreement within and between observers for reporting of orthopaedic findings on presale radiographs of Thoroughbred yearlings.
Study design

Retrospective analysis of archived radiographs.
Methods

Authors: S. Plevin and J. McLellan
Journal: Equine Veterinary Journal

Summary
Reasons for performing study

The occurrence of bucked shins in young Thoroughbred racehorses in North America is high. Although an altered training regime has demonstrated a significant decrease in this condition, trainers can be opposed to altering something as fundamental as their training routine. Periosteal scraping of the third metacarpal bone (McIII) is a putative prophylactic technique used to prevent bucked shins; therefore, a study to investigate the validity of the procedure is warranted.
Objectives

Category: Bone - Epidemiology - Equine
Authors: Lina Jönsson, PhD; Agneta Egenvall, DVM, PhD; Lars Roepstorff, DVM, PhD; Anna Näsholm, PhD; Göran Dalin, DVM, PhD; Jan Philipsson, PhD
Journal: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

Objective—To determine associations of health status and conformation with competition longevity and lifetime performance in young Swedish Warmblood riding horses.

Design—Cohort study and genetic analysis.

Animals—8,238 horses.

Authors: K Morgan, A Kanstrup and M Rundgren
Journal: Equine Veterinary Journal

Introduction

Problems in the musculoskeletal system are the most common reason for impaired function and culling in insured riding horses in Sweden. Impaired function of the fetlock, e.g. arthritis, is a believed to be a multi-factorial problem. The aim of the pilot study was to find factors associated with problems in the fetlock.