Equine Veterinary Journal最新文献

{"title":"Cone beam computed tomographic myelography in horses with cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy.","authors":"Sonia González-Medina, Myra F Barrett, Tawfik A Aboellail, Bradley B Nelson, Yvette S Nout-Lomas","doi":"10.1111/evj.70094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.70094","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>While computed tomographic (CT) myelography is increasingly available and has been evaluated in alive horses, objective criteria for diagnosing cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy (CVCM) are lacking.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To establish morphometric dimensions of the cervical vertebral canal and spinal cords from horses with CVCM and compare those to unaffected horses with the use of cone beam CT (CBCT).</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Prospective observational study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Four control horses and ten horses with CVCM underwent diagnostic imaging and histopathology. Morphometric measurements were obtained from cervical radiographs and radiographic and CBCT myelography. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to establish thresholds of measurements.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Intravertebral sagittal ratios were significantly different between CVCM and control horses. Dorsal myelographic column reduction was significantly different between compressed sites and non-compressed sites. Full myelographic area, dural area, and spinal cord area were significantly smaller in the CVCM horses, and were significantly smaller at compressed sites when compared to non-compressed sites. Reductions of full myelographic area and dural area and ratios of spinal cord area to full myelographic area and dural area were significantly larger at compressed sites when compared to non-compressed sites. Diagnostic thresholds to consider for CVCM are full myelographic area <294 mm², dural area <188 mm², and spinal cord area <104 mm². Compressed sites were associated with thresholds of full myelographic area <274 mm², dural area <188 mm², or reduction of full myelographic area >9%, reduction of dural area >14%, spinal cord area: full myelographic area >36.7%, and spinal cord area: dural area >57.9%.</p><p><strong>Main limitations: </strong>Small number of horses. CVCM horses were younger than control horses.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>CBCT myelography provides quantitative parameters that can support a diagnosis of CVCM and should be used alongside radiographic myelography.</p>","PeriodicalId":11796,"journal":{"name":"Equine Veterinary Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145085476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The efficacy of embryo recovery on consecutive days from Day 6.5 to obtain small embryos for vitrification.","authors":"Guillerme R Couto, Debraym W A Vigano, Gabriel D C Santos, W R Twink Allen, Sandra Wilsher","doi":"10.1111/evj.70098","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.70098","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Vitrified embryos ≤300 μm give better pregnancy rates following warming and transfer than larger ones. Embryo recovery undertaken close to when the embryo enters the uterus (Day 6-6.5) helps in the recovery of embryos ≤300 μm. However, flushing early can mean missing an embryo not yet in the uterus, whereas later can result in embryos >300 μm.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To evaluate if repeated embryo flushing on consecutive days from Day 6.5 would increase the number of embryos ≤300μm recovered.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Retrospective case series.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Four hundred and ninety-six inseminations with cooled (n = 339) or frozen (n = 130) semen were undertaken in 91 mares over a three-year period; pre-ovulatory for cooled and post-ovulatory for frozen semen, with mares checked for ovulation daily or every 6 h, respectively. At a presumed Day 6.5 (cooled semen) or 7 (frozen semen), mares' uteri were flushed, with flushing repeated 24 and 48 h later if no embryo was recovered. Linear mixed-effects models and likelihood ratio tests were used to investigate factors potentially influencing embryo diameter, embryo grade, and oviduct transport time (e.g., semen type, ovulatory drug, stallion age, mare age, season and flush number).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Using repeated flushing, 98.8% (243/246) of embryos recovered were ≤300 μm. Second and third flushes yielded 61 embryos (24.8% of recovered embryos). The only variable that influenced embryo diameter was flush number (p = 0.003); for embryo grade, no variable was significant, whereas oviduct transport time was affected by semen type (p = 0.003), ovulatory drug (p = 0.029) and stallion age (p = 0.005).</p><p><strong>Main limitations: </strong>Noncontrolled clinical study.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Embryo flushing on consecutive days from the time of expected entry of the embryo into the uterus was effective in collecting embryos ≤300 μm and resulted in additional embryos being retrieved compared with a single flush. Oviductal transport time in some mares is >156 h from ovulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":11796,"journal":{"name":"Equine Veterinary Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145023101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Three-dimensional electro-anatomical mapping of premature atrial complexes originating from the right atrial free wall and treatment by radiofrequency ablation in three horses.","authors":"Eva Buschmann, Glenn Van Steenkiste, Hannes Bulckens, Stijn Schauvliege, Annelies Decloedt, Gunther van Loon","doi":"10.1111/evj.70095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.70095","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Frequent premature atrial complexes (PACs) can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation or atrial tachycardia, and pharmacological therapy can be challenging.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To report the use of three-dimensional electro-anatomical mapping of PAC originating from the right atrial free wall and treatment by radiofrequency ablation in three horses.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Retrospective case report.</p><p><strong>Case description: </strong>Frequent premature atrial complexes (PACs) were diagnosed in three horses. Twelve-lead ECG and vectorcardiography suggested an origin in the right lateral free wall in two horses and the caudal right atrium in one horse. Three-dimensional electro-anatomical mapping (3D EAM) and radiofrequency ablation using the CARTO™ 3 system were performed. Isoprenaline or dobutamine administration allowed activating the focus of PACs during general anaesthesia. Activation mapping using Pattern Matching Filtering identified the origin of PACs at the mid portion of the right atrial free wall in all horses. In the first horse, ablation was not performed due to pacing-induced phrenic nerve stimulation at the site of earliest activation. In the second horse, PACs disappeared after the 18th energy application and were no longer inducible by dobutamine. In the last horse, ablation was not successful in eliminating PACs.</p><p><strong>Main limitation: </strong>Small number of cases.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The 3D EAM identified the focus of PACs at the right atrial free wall in three horses, revealing it as a possible arrhythmogenic area. Although still challenging, radiofrequency ablation has promise as a treatment to provide a permanent solution for frequent PACs.</p>","PeriodicalId":11796,"journal":{"name":"Equine Veterinary Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145023089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The potential value of cytokine, cortisol and vitamin D profiles in foals from birth to weaning for respiratory disease prediction on a farm endemic for Rhodococcus equi pneumonia.","authors":"Londa J Berghaus, Monica Venner, Hannah Helbig, Dorothea Hildebrandt, Kelsey Hart","doi":"10.1111/evj.70093","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.70093","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Rhodococcus equi causes pneumonia in young foals, but disease susceptibility and severity vary. Cortisol and vitamin D modulate immune responses and cytokine production during bacterial infection, and altered concentrations are associated with sepsis in neonatal foals. We hypothesised an age and disease effect on circulating steroid hormone concentrations in foals, and that differences in cytokines and steroid hormone concentrations would predict disease severity in pneumonic foals.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To investigate circulating concentrations of various cytokines, cortisol and vitamin D as predictors of individual disease severity in R. equi foals.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Prospective cohort.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Blood samples were collected from 200 initially healthy foals on a pneumonia-endemic breeding farm after birth and at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 20 weeks of age. Health status was tracked weekly. At weaning (20 weeks), foals were divided into three health groups: (1) foals that remained healthy, (2) foals that developed subclinical, self-resolving pneumonia and (3) foals that developed clinically apparent pneumonia necessitating antimicrobial treatment. Foals were randomly selected (n = 30/group) for cortisol, vitamin D and cytokine (TNFα, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17 and interferon-gamma [IFN-γ]) analysis using validated assays.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We observed disease-associated differences for IFN-γ at 4 weeks (χ² = 13.91; df = 2; p = 0.001) and 20 weeks (χ² = 10.0; df = 2; p = 0.007) and age-associated differences for cortisol, vitamin D and other cytokines (p < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Main limitations: </strong>Causative agent not identified, frequency and timing of sample collection may have impacted results, and systemic cytokine concentrations may not accurately reflect cytokine availability and activity at the tissue level.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Periodic measurement of circulating steroid hormones and cytokines from birth to weaning was not predictive of pneumonia susceptibility and severity in foals on a farm with endemic pneumonia. Disease-associated IFN-γ differences warrant further investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":11796,"journal":{"name":"Equine Veterinary Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145023026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Steamed hay for the prevention of severe equine asthma exacerbations.","authors":"Clara Raïsky, Berta Mozo Vives, Laurence Leduc, Antoine Symoens, Hamid Tavanaeimanesh, Hélène Richard, Tristan Juette, Christian Bédard, Mathilde Leclère","doi":"10.1111/evj.70089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.70089","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Steaming hay reduces respirable particles and is commonly used to feed horses with asthma. However, it showed inconsistent benefits in clinical studies.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>(1) To assess the effects of steamed hay on lung function and airway inflammation in horses with severe equine asthma (SEA) in remission; (2) To compare these effects with a dry hay diet.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Cross-over in vivo experiment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Horses were fed steamed and dry hay for 4 weeks in a prospective, cross-over study, with a 4-week washout period. Lung function, bronchoalveolar lavage (BALF) cytology, and a 23-point weighted clinical score (WCS) were recorded before and after 4 weeks of hay feeding. A mixed linear model with post hoc tests was used.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Resistance at 5 Hz (R5) increased over the 4-week period (time effect and post hoc end vs. baseline: p < 0.001), with no difference between treatments (mean [SD], kPa/L/s) (baseline dry: 0.065 [0.014]; end dry: 0.079 [0.019]; baseline steamed: 0.063 [0.009]; end steamed: 0.078 [0.014]). There was a significant increase in BALF neutrophil percentages over time (end vs. baseline: p < 0.001) (baseline dry: 6.7 [5.4]; end dry: 13.1 [6.0]; baseline steamed: 5.6 [2.6]; end steamed: 10.5 [4.3]). WCS did not change significantly (baseline dry: 2.6 [1.5]; end dry: 2.2 [1.2]; baseline steamed: 2.9 [1.5]; end steamed: 1.9 [1.3]).</p><p><strong>Main limitations: </strong>This study involves small number of horses in a research setting. Hay dust content and particles in the breathing zone were not measured.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Steamed hay induced a mild but significant deterioration of lung function and inflammation in horses with SEA. The lack of differences with dry hay could be due to the unexpectedly mild exacerbation during this study.</p>","PeriodicalId":11796,"journal":{"name":"Equine Veterinary Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145023086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy and welfare effects of different forms of physical restraint for upper airway endoscopy of horses.","authors":"Claire O'Brien, Olivier Simon, Samantha H Franklin, Gustavo Ferlini Agne, Sarah Weaver, Sharanne L Raidal","doi":"10.1111/evj.70081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.70081","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Physical restraint of horses for veterinary procedures is necessary to allow completion of tasks effectively and without injury to patient or personnel.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To compare physiological effects and behavioural responses to four commonly used restraint techniques for upper respiratory tract (URT) endoscopy in unsedated horses.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Blocked and randomised interventional study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twelve university owned teaching horses were blocked into groups of four and randomly allocated to one of four restraint methods (nose twitch, ear hold, Stableizer® and nil restraint) for URT endoscopy. Horse response to restraint and endoscopy was evaluated subjectively and by objective measures of procedural efficacy (duration and head movement), time domain indices of heart rate variability (HRV), saliva cortisol and plasma β-endorphin concentrations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Horses demonstrated strong individual differences for procedure tolerance and preferred method of restraint, but there were no differences observed in outcome measures related to procedural efficacy or neuroendocrine response associated with restraint type. Repetition of experimental procedures was associated with a progressive decrease in mean (95% CI) minimum heart rate from 34.2 (31.7-36.7) to 30.1 (28.0-32.2) bpm (p < 0.001), and increased HRV measures related to parasympathetic dominance. Cortisol was greatest on Day 2 (1.5, 1.1-2.5 nmol/L; median, 95% CI), compared with Day 1 (0.8, 0.5-1.6 nmol/L; p = 0.02).</p><p><strong>Main limitations: </strong>Convenience sample of horses familiar with most study interventions; intervention was minimally invasive and of short duration.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Study findings did not support current recommendations to prioritise one type of restraint over other available techniques.</p>","PeriodicalId":11796,"journal":{"name":"Equine Veterinary Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145023110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Technologies for equine welfare and performance monitoring under field conditions - Where do we stand?","authors":"Rhana Mackie Aarts, Esther W Siegers, Filipe M Serra Braganca, P René van Weeren","doi":"10.1111/evj.70092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.70092","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The need for comprehensive equine welfare assessments has become particularly evident amid ongoing debates about the social licence to operate in equestrian sports. During exercise, multiple physiological systems, principally the cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, thermoregulatory, endocrine, and locomotory systems, undergo complex adaptations. To monitor and determine equine welfare, an approach that focuses on the quantitative monitoring of both physiological and psychological parameters to determine and understand the impact of equestrian sports on horses is essential. Existing and emerging technologies that allow for the quantitative assessment of such parameters have developed rapidly over the past two decades and have increasingly enabled precise monitoring of horses, though the available tools vary depending on the parameter of interest. This review explores current technologies for measuring parameters associated with these physiological systems and their practical applications in assessing equine well-being. The focus lies on validated technologies for which accuracy and precision have been determined. The aim of this review is to present an overview of current technologies available for the measurement of both physiological and psychological parameters in horses during exercise and to what extent they can be used under field conditions. The review concludes by discussing promising innovations that, while still in early development, could significantly contribute to equine welfare and the broader social licence to operate debate.</p>","PeriodicalId":11796,"journal":{"name":"Equine Veterinary Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145006079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"2D-shear wave elastographic features of normal and injured equine superficial digital flexor tendons.","authors":"G Guerri, L Bandera, P Straticò, A Palozzo, L Di Nunzio, G Celani, V Varasano, M Vignoli, L Petrizzi","doi":"10.1111/evj.70091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.70091","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) injuries cause progressive loss of its mechanical properties. Two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) provides information about tissue stiffness.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To determine the feasibility, repeatability, and reproducibility of 2D-SWE of healthy and pathological forelimb SDFT.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Prospective observational cohort study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Horses were divided into a noninjured Group (H) and a Group with tendinopathy of the SDFT (P). 2D-SWE of both fore SDFTs was performed at three metacarpal levels (A, B, and C, from proximal to distal). Qualitative and quantitative assessments were performed by two operators, and interobserver agreement was calculated. Differences between Group H and P, and between the affected and unaffected limbs of Group P and with Group H were analysed. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS IBM. Statistical significance was set for p < 0.05.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty horses were enrolled (13 in Group H, 17 in Group P). Interobserver agreement was excellent to good. Qualitatively, in Group H, SDFT was from light to marked blue; in Group P, it appeared marked blue. Quantitatively, Group H had lower median mean shear wave velocity (SWV, m/s) and Young's modulus (kPa) at levels B and C (SWV: 8.19 and 8.27 m/s vs. 8.47 and 8.48 m/s; Young's modulus: 299.21 and 204 kPa vs. 216.03 and 214.44 kPa). In longitudinal scans, the unaffected limbs of Group P were different from the affected limb and from Group H at level B and in the transverse scan. The affected limbs of Group P were different from Group H in the transverse scan at levels B and C.</p><p><strong>Main limitations: </strong>Low sample size, examination of naturally occurring lesions, observational nature.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>2D-SWE is feasible as a supplementary diagnostic method for detecting SDFT tendinopathies. Clinically healthy SDFTs exhibit lower SWV and Young's modulus values, suggesting less stiffness.</p>","PeriodicalId":11796,"journal":{"name":"Equine Veterinary Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144999891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical audit of pre-procedural checklists in an equine referral hospital.","authors":"Thomas J Beeston, Juliet C Duncan, Patrick J Pollock","doi":"10.1111/evj.70097","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.70097","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Surgical safety checklists have demonstrated a positive impact on post-surgical morbidity/mortality in human medicine, and likely have an equal benefit in veterinary medicine. To realise their advantages, they must be correctly and regularly used. A clinical audit was planned to assess this.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To determine the compliance with the pre-procedural request form/surgical safety checklist in a large multi-disciplinary equine referral hospital.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Retrospective full-cycle clinical audit.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>One hundred and forty-eight checklists (consisting of 23 sub-sections) were examined for completeness. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and section completion rates were compared against national standards. Interventions to improve checklist use were made: a checklist redesign after consultation with end-users, a hospital education scheme to improve staff understanding, regular e-mail reminders, and recruitment of key senior staff as champions. Lastly, it was made policy for checklists to be uploaded to the horse's medical record. Following this, 30 new checklists were re-audited in the same manner. Results obtained were compared against the first audit and national standards.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Checklists were rarely fully complete. In the first audit, completion rates for various subsections ranged from 9% to 89%, with a median value of 64%. In the re-audit, the completion rates ranged from 80% to 100%, with a median value of 93%. The sign-out section was most likely to be incomplete.</p><p><strong>Main limitations: </strong>Data were not collected in real-time, and it is difficult to determine the significance of missing data. Staff were aware of the re-audit; it is possible that checklist compliance was temporarily increased. Fewer checklists were examined in the second audit.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The interventions have a positive benefit on checklist completion. A clinical audit of checklists is a useful tool that can easily be conducted in practice and may help promote a safety culture within hospitals.</p>","PeriodicalId":11796,"journal":{"name":"Equine Veterinary Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144999904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A case-matched controlled retrospective performance indexed analysis of Thoroughbred racehorses that underwent surgical repair of proximal phalanx and third meta-carpal/tarsal condylar fractures.","authors":"Angus Yeomans, Denise Martinkovich, Tom O'Brien, Henry O'Neill, Ryan Carpenter, Mark Georgetti, Phil Cramp","doi":"10.1111/evj.70088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.70088","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Standing fracture repair has become established as an acceptable technique with a good long-term prognosis. However, no study has compared racing outcomes with case-matched controls.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To compare racing outcomes between a large dataset of horses undergoing standing fracture repair against case-matched controls.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Retrospective case-matched controlled comparative study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Thoroughbred racehorses undergoing standing repair of distal limb fracture(s) over 10 years (2012-2022) at five hospital centres across North America and Europe were included. Data retrieved included age, sex, fracture type, pre- and post-operative racing status, days elapsed between repair and first start, and number of starts and places (1-3), which were used to generate a performance index (PI) and a performance index per start (PI/S). Two case-matched controls were assigned and used for post-operative comparison of racing performance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>185/265; 69.8% (confidence interval (CI): 63.9%-75.4%) of horses raced post-surgery. No significant difference in the proportion of cases and case-matched controls (260/342; 76% (CI: 71.3%-80.4%)) that returned to racing was observed. No significant difference in post-operative performance indicators (N starts, PI, PI/S) between cases ((9, inter-quartile-range (IQR): 14) (7, IQR: 14) (0.64, IQR: 1)) respectively, and case-matched controls ((9, IQR: 17) (5, IQR: 14.8) (0.6, IQR: 0.66)) respectively, was observed. Fracture type, limb, sex, or pre-operative racing experience did not affect the proportion of horses returning to racing.</p><p><strong>Main limitation: </strong>The retrospective nature of this study may lead to the omission of data for analysis.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Horses undergoing standing internal fixation of select proximal phalanx and third metacarpal/tarsal condylar fractures have a good prognosis for return to racing and comparable performance with case-matched controls. Horses that undergo standing fracture repair have good longevity, outweighing surgical costs and loss of training.</p>","PeriodicalId":11796,"journal":{"name":"Equine Veterinary Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144999912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}