Description
Introduction: During a clinical assessment croup reflexes can be used as a tool to evaluate range of motion (ROM) of the thoracolumbosacral spine, but little is known if the ROM induced by a croup reflex relates to dynamic ROM when walking and trotting.Objectives: To investigate the relationship between flexion-extension ROM (FE ROM) of the thoracolumbosacral spine when performing a croup reflex with thoracolumbosacral FE ROM when walking and trotting in-hand.
Study design: Experimental.
Methods: Reflective skin markers (20mm) were placed on the midline of twenty riding horses at thoracic (T) T6, T10, T13, T18, lumbar (L) L3, L5 vertebrae, and tubera sacrale (TS). With the horse stood square, an ACPAT physiotherapist induced a croup reflex by applying manual bilateral pressure in a dorsal-ventral direction between the m. biceps femoris and m. semitendinosus muscles. Nine optical motion cameras (240Hz) quantified flexion-extension (FE) ROM of T10, T15, L3 and L5 using previously published methods. Horses were walked (1.5±0.2m/s) and trotted (3.4±0.5m/s) in-hand four times through a straight-line experimental track (26m). For each location Pearson’s correlations compared FE-ROM when performing a croup reflex with FE-ROM in walk and trot with a significance set at P<0.05. Results: The thoracolumbosacral spine FE ROM when performing a croup reflex was: T10 (9.5±2.9º), T15 (5.0±1.9º), L3 (8.0±3.5º) and L5(11.6±3.6º). No correlation was found between thoracolumbosacral spine FE ROM when performing a croup reflex and thoracolumbosacral spinal FE ROM when walking (T10 (7.0±1.1º), T15 (9.1±1.5º), L3 (8.5±1.4º) or L5 (7.4±1.4º) (all P=>0.05)) or trotting (T10 (4.5±0.8º) (2.9±0.8º), L3 (3.4±0.5º)or L5 (3.8±0.6º) (all P=>0.05)).
Limitations: Only four spinal angles were measured.
Conclusions: In this group of horses, thoracolumbosacral FE ROM when performing a croup reflex did not reflect thoracolumbosacral FE ROM when walking or trotting in-hand. Reinforcing the need to assess horses both statically and dynamically when evaluating locomotor function.
| Period | 17 Sept 2024 |
|---|---|
| Event title | British Equine Veterinary Congress 2024 |
| Event type | Conference |