Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Most research concerning lameness examination methods are based on the gait trot. The walk has similar symmetrical qualities that could make it appropriate for lameness assessment. As some patients, and potentially some pathologies could benefit from being examined at the walk, the purpose of this case study was to investigate if movement asymmetry variables of the head/poll, withers and pelvis, showed statistically significant differences between horses when lame and non-lame after positive diagnostic anaesthesia. Forty-seven equine patients were included in the study, all incoming to the Swedish University Animal Hospital Horse Clinic (UDS Hästklinik) for lameness examinations during which a diagnostic anaesthesia was preformed and had a positive result (i.e. the lameness was blocked). They were measured using a multi-camera marker-based motion capture system at the walk and trot before and after local anaesthesia.
The displacement values of the markers placed on the horses were extracted from the motion capture software and analysed through a paired, two-tailed t-test to evaluate any statistical significance. The horses were grouped as to whether they were forelimb or hindlimb lame in trot and all lamenesses were converted into right limb lameness based on their values in trot. For both the forelimb and hindlimb lame horses, a smaller group of horses showing more severe lameness in trot were analysed separately again to be compared to the full group of forelimb/hindlimb lame horses.
Statistical significance was found for the difference in height of the minima of the poll (MinDiff Poll) in the “full group” and the difference in height of the maxima of the pelvis (MaxDiff Pelvis) in the “severe lameness group” for forelimb lameness. This study found no statistical significance before and after diagnostic analgesia for hindlimb lameness.
This may be due to the low sample size or a large variation of the compensatory motion patterns associated to lameness at the walk.