Equine Sports medicine Flashcards
(76 cards)
Goals in sports medicine?
- MAximising performance
- Minimising injury
- Optimising recovery
How to we start to investigate poor performance?
- Comprehensive history
- Presenting complaints discipline dependent
- Often requires: repeated CE; eval ono soft and hard surface, lunge, flexion, ridden assessment ; ancilliary diagnostics
Why is poor performance complex?
Multiple body systems involved often (91%)
Causes of poor performance?
- Lameness tends to be most common cause, followed by resp dx
- Some evidence Gi ulcers big imapct on perf
- Mechanisms multifactorial
How to measure poor racing performance?
- Days lost from training (Dyson et al 2008)
- Race performance analysis (Wilsher et al 2006)
- Rates of death
How to measure poor reprod performance?
Proportion of coverings which did not lead to progeny which
raced within first 4 years of life
Measure of poor performance in equestrian sports?
- Rates of retirement
- Failure to re-register with British Eventing (O’Brien et al 2005)
- Number of horses achieving certain grade or status within
discipline. - Injury statistics
T/F Lameness is the msot common condition in fays mossed from training ?
True
Incidence fo lameness in racing?
20% of all days availabel for trainign lost due to lameness
Most common cause of lameness?
Stress fracture
Why do we need to research lameness more in poor performance?
- To identify training regimens that minimise risk of fracture and joint injury
and the effects of training and racing surface on injury risk - Into the potential interactions between genetic and environmental factors
What are some ethical issues to consider?
» Confidentiality
» Conflicts of duty
» Patient Autonomy – Possible if patient an animal?
» Unrealistic expectations of treatment
» Use (and abuse) of medication
» Rationale for treatment
* Excessive treatment versus routine maintenance of elite athletes
In terms fo welfare when we lack evidence what should we do?
Act as an advocate for the animal
Evidence Based Medicine - is it always possible?
» Not always possible!
» Often small numbers
» Poor quality studies common (few randomised controlled studies)
» Lack of evidence basis for treatments not uncommon in sports
medicine in particular
» This doesn’t make it impossible to make good clinical decisions!
Describe use of Iron Tonics
» Commonly used for anaemic or slightly ‘under the weather’ horses
» Nutritional Iron deficiency = very rare in horses
If a horse is anaemic is primary iron deficiency likely the cause?
NO
* Anaemia of inflammation (Anaemia of Chronic Disease)
* Systemic Iron stores are normal to increased, but altered iron mobilisation. Oral iron not indicated
* Underlying disease > Investigate!
How should we approach anaemia ?
Ensuring adequate vit & mineral supply (good balancer) NOT with iron supp
Use of Turmeric?
» Reported benefits of curcumin:
* Anti-inflammatory, Anti-oxidant, Anti-microbial, Hepato-protective, Anti-ulcer
» Bioavailability
Decision making factors for therapeutics in joint dx?
- Clinical signs/degree of lameness
- Joint involved (high versus low motion)
- Stage of OA/synovitis
- Current & intended use/discipline
- Regulations (FEI,BHA)
- Timing (detection times, competition)
- Cost
- Client
- Age
- Response to therapy
What options for intra-articular steroids?
» Anti-inflammatory, Chondroprotective properties
» ‘Steroid arthropathy’: Overuse of a pain-free joint > accelerated degeneration?
* Negative effects on chondrocyte metabolism
» Triamcinolone acetonide
» Methylprednisolone acetate (MPA)
* More deleterious effects > use only in low motion joints?
What CONSIDERATIONS with intra-articular steroids?
- Type? dose? frequency?
- With hyaluroan?
- Local for diagnostics? inc risk of infection?
- Duration of rest?
- Precautions to prevent sepsis?
What is the purpose fo physical therapy?
The restoration of movement and fucntion
What must physical therapy tx plan be based on ?
ACCURATE diagnosis & high quality diagnostic imaging