Lameness

Question 1

What is the definition of lameness in horses?

Answer 1

Lameness is an abnormal stance or gait caused by structural and/or functional disorders of the locomotor system, making the horse unwilling or unable to stand or move normally

Question 2

What are the main causes of lameness?

Answer 2

PAIN, mechanical restrictions, and neurologic dysfunction

Question 3

What are the key components of a horse’s clinical history when identifying lameness?

Answer 3

Type of activity, onset/duration, severity, signalment, medical history, and shoeing history

Question 4

What are the signs of forelimb lameness?

Answer 4

Head bob (up on the bad, down on the sound), altered stride length, asymmetric joint movement, tensing of the shoulder/chest muscles and differences in footfall sounds.

Question 5

What are signs of hindlimb lameness?

Answer 5

Hip Hike (on the bad leg), head/neck movement, altered stride length, reduced joint flexion, and abnormal flight patterns of the limb

Question 6

What is the purpose of a flexion test during a lameness exam?

Answer 6

To stress specific joint by holding the limb in flexion, helping identify areas on lameness but not providing a specific diagnosis.

Question 7

How does the AAEP Lameness Scale grade a horse’s lameness?

Answer 7

0: Lameness not perceptible under any circumstances.
1: Lameness is difficult to observe and is not consistently apparent, regardless of circumstances (e.g., under saddle, circling, inclines, hard surface, etc.).
2: Lameness is difficult to observe at a walk or when trotting in a straight line but consistently apparent under certain circumstances (e.g., weight-carrying, circling, inclines, hard surface, etc.).
3: Lameness is consistently observable at a trot under all circumstances.
4: Lameness is obvious at a walk.
5: Lameness produces minimal weight-bearing in motion and/or at rest or a complete inability to move.

Question 8

What is the role of diagnostic anesthesia in lameness localization?

Answer 8

Nerve blocks are used to desensitize ares and identify the source of pain, progressing systemically from distal to proximal.

Question 9

What imaging techniques are used to diagnose lameness?

Answer 9

Radiographs (bone damage), ultrasound (soft tissue), nuclear scintigraphy (bone remodeling), and CT/MRI (detailed 3D imaging).

Question 10

What are the examples of biologic therapies for treatment lameness?

Answer 10

Platelet Rich Plasma (growth factor)
IL-1 receptor anatgnosist protein (anti-inflammatory)
Protride (combo)
Alpha2 macroglobulin (Anti-inflammatory and inhibits cartilage breakdown)
Stems Cells (harvest from fat or bone marrow and injected to improve quality of healing)

Question 11

Name some adjunct therapies for lameness management.

Answer 11

Shockwave therapy, laser therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, acupuncture, PEMF, and massage/chiropractic work.

Question 12

What are the common treatment for lameness?

Answer 12

Rest, time, intraarticular medications, biologic therapies, and sometimes surgery.
NSAID

Question 13

What preventive measures can be taken to avoid lameness?

Answer 13

Proper conditioning, joint supplement, soundness exams, regular farrier with balance assessments

Question 14

What is the significance of dynamic exam in a lameness evaluation?

Answer 14

It assesses the horse’s movement under various conditions to identify the presence and severity of lameness.

Question 15

What rehabilitation techniques are recommended for a lame horse when vet says it okay?

Answer 15

Controlled exercise, cryotherapy, hydrotherapy, range-of-motion exercises, and proper shoeing with periodic evaluations.

Question 16

What is fibrotic myopathy, and how does it affect a horse’s gait?

Answer 16

Fibrotic myopathy is a mechanical lameness caused by scar tissue in the semitendinosus/semimembranosus muscles. It leads to a classic hindlimb gait abnormality slapping but is generally non-painful. Treatment can include surgery​

Question 17

What causes upward fixation of the patella, and how is it treated?

Answer 17

It occurs in young, unfit, or stalled horses with weak quadriceps femoris muscles that struggle to unlock the patella, causing the limb to drag. Rest is contraindicated, and severe cases may require medical or surgical intervention. Horses often outgrow this as they strengthen

Question 18

What is stringhalt, and what are its characteristics?

Answer 18

Stringhalt is a neurologic lameness characterized by hyperflexion of the hindlimb forward under the belly, visible at a walk. It may be unilateral or bilateral, often linked to brain trauma or plant toxicities. Treatment can include surgery, and it is usually non-painful​

Question 19

What are the signs and causes of shivers in horses?

Answer 19

Shivers involves hyperflexion/abduction of the hindlimb with muscle trembling and difficulty moving backward or holding a limb for farriers. It is caused by neuroaxonal degeneration in deep cerebellar nuclei, is most common in heavy warmbloods or draft horses, and has no effective treatment​

Question 20

Name other disorders that may cause lameness?

Answer 20

PSSM, Exertional Rhabdomyolysis, HYPP, EPM, CVSM, NAD/EDM, and Cerebellar Abiotrophy​