9/14 - Lameness Examination

Lameness

What term refers to a clinical sign of inflammation, pain, or mechanical defect causing a gait abnormality? It is common in horses, making up 60-80% of vet consultations in equine vet practice. Causes can be extrinsic or intrinsic, it often affects athletic performance, and welfare/costs should always be considered. The aim is to identify the source. It is 60% front limb, and 40% hind limb.

Distal

95% of forelimb lameness cases will originate where (distal or proximal) to the carpus? Hindlimb is in the opposite area and is less common, though it can be in this location too.

Static

What evaluation in a lameness exam involves observation and palpation?

Dynamic

What evaluation in a lameness exam involves watching the walk, trot, and canter of the horse, often by leading it?

No

Are there any gender-based predispositions to lameness?

Icelandic

What breed of horse is predisposed to tarsal OA?

Warmblood

Which group of horses are more predisposed to OCD?

Myopathies

Quarterhorses and drafthorses are more predisposed to what lameness-causing conditions?

Shetland

What breed of ponies are predisposed to shoulder dysplasia?

Three

Horses can often be viewed in how many sections during balance, lameness and other exams?

Conformation

What part of an equine exam refers to the form or outline of a horse? Poor this does not equal lameness but it is often found in lame horses. It is largely inherited. The digit should be assessed from the front, side, and solar aspects.

HPA

What axis (abbreviated) is measured during conformation exam on the equine digit, shown here?

Toe-in

What toe conformation tends to wing-out (paddle) and may predispose to lateral splints and wear to the outside of the hoof?

Toe-out

What toe conformation is common in a mild form and may accompany carpal vaglus in foals, which usually resolves? They will wing-in, which may interfere with the opposite forelimb if the horse is also base-narrow.

Base-wide

What forelimb conformation is when the forelimbs are lateral to plumb-line and narrow in the chest? This will overload the medial aspect of the lower limb.

Base-narrow

What forelimb conformation is when the forelimbs are inside the plumb-line and tend to overload the outside of the limb? They may also be toe-out or toe-in.

Straight Behind

Which hindlimb conformation is when there are large stifle and hock angles but smaller fetlock angles? This predisposes to upward fixation of the patella, suspensory desmitis, and fetlock osteoarthritis.

Sickle-Hocked

What hindlimb conformation is also called curby and is when the lower limb is in front of the plumb line with exaggerated concave dorsal aspect? This concentrates the load on the distal plantar tarsus, and is found in foals with tarsal bone collapse.

Cow-hocked

Which hindlimb conformation is when the points of the hock are close together and the limb is rotated out?

Brachiocephalicus

Which muscle in the cervical region may have pain or spasm in cases of forelimb lameness?

Back

What region often has soreness secondary to hindlimb lameness? Palpation may cause abnormal reactions like kicking or tail swishing.

Fibrotic

What myopathy is when there is lameness and semitendinosus/semimembranosus firmness or loss?

Tail

What appendage/structure will have a tone in a lameness case due to sacral injury or cauda equina syndrome?

Crepitus

What clinical sign/condition will be present with a lameness case due to a pelvic fracture?

Walk

What gait has 4 beats?

Trot

What gait has 2 beats?

Canter

What gait has 3 beats?

Four

How many beats does a gallop have?

Trot

Which gait is most useful in a lameness grading exam? Walk is used for foot placement, neurological status, and for mechanical lameness diagnosis. Hindlimb lameness can mimic forelimb lameness at this gait.

5

Lameness in the US is scored out of what number? This is the AAEP format.

Rise

Will the head and neck rise or fall when the lame forelimb bears weight?

Lame

Will there be tail movement away and increased overall vertical movement of the hindquarters on the lame leg or normal leg in a hindlimb lameness case?

Lower

Will the lame limb often have lower or higher foot flight (less fetlock drop)?

Stabby

What type of gait occurs in lame limbs when there is protraction medially and then movement laterally just before placing the foot laterally?

Laterally

In a lame limb, is it more common for the hoof to land medially or laterally?

Mechanical

Which type of lameness can occur due to stringhalt, shivers, fibrotic myopathy, or upward fixation of the patella?

Neurologic

Which type of lameness can involve tail pull, circling, and blindfolding?

Yes

Can provocative tests induce lameness in a non-lame horse? Flexion tests are a common example.

Hock

Extension of what joint may reveal damage or laxity to the peroneus tertius muscle?

Kinetics

What gait assessment involves direction and magnitude of forces, using hoof strain gauges, instrumented horseshoes, force plates, and pressure sensitive shoes?

Kinematics

What gait assessment involves position in time and space, and uses cameras, computers, markers, and treadmills?