Biomedical subjects

A Barneveld

Publications and source records attributed to A Barneveld.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMed1996

Limb movement adaptations in horses with experimentally induced fore- or hindlimb lameness.

The kinematic patterns of all limbs of 11 clinically nonlame Dutch Warmblood horses were studied during induced supporting limb lameness to gain insight into the compensation mechanisms horses use to manage lameness and to test kinematic limb variables for their significance as lameness indicators. Using the locomotion analysis system CODA-3, the kinematics of the horses were recorded while walking (1.6 m/s) and trotting (3.5 m/s) on a treadmill. A transient lameness model, evoking pressure on the hoof sole, was used to induce 3 degrees of fore- and hindlimb lameness. Joint angle patterns and hoof movements were analysed using joint angle/time diagrams and the hoof trajectories in the sagittal plane. Quantitative analysis of 13 selected variables in each limb was done using a 2-way analysis of variance. Hyperextension of the fetlock joint and flexion of the coffin joint during the stance phase decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in the lame limb, both in fore- and hindlimb lameness, at both gaits. In the contralateral nonlame limbs both variables increased compensatorily. Flexion increased with increasing lameness in the proximal joints, i.e. the shoulder joint and even more the tarsal joint of the lame limb. The retraction of both forelimbs decreased during forelimb lameness at the walk, while in the lame hindlimb the protraction decreased. The hoof arcs were lower in the lame limb than in the nonlame limb, due to an increased hoof height in the nonlame limb during forelimb lameness and to a decreased height in the lame limb during hindlimb lameness. It was concluded that patterns of the distal joints reflect the different loadings of the limbs during lameness. Proximal joints acted as load dampers to reduce peak forces in the lame limb. Hyperextension of the fetlock and flexion of the coffin joint proved to be the most sensitive indicators for fore- and hindlimb lameness.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1996

Head and trunk movement adaptations in horses with experimentally induced fore- or hindlimb lameness.

The kinematic patterns of head and trunk were studied in horses during induced supporting limb lameness to understand the mechanisms horses use to compensate for lameness and to evaluate different symmetry indices for their significance as lameness indicators. Using the locomotion analysis system CODA-3 the kinematics of 11 clinically nonlame Dutch Warmblood horses were recorded while walking (1.6 m/s) and trotting (3.5 m/s) on a treadmill. A transient lameness model, evoking pressure induced pain on the hoof sole, was used to induce 3 degrees of fore- and hindlimb lameness. Peak vertical displacement, velocity and acceleration of head, withers, tuber sacrale and both tuber coxae were quantified at different phases of the stride. Changes in these variables due to lameness and symmetry indices calculated as quotients of the values during the lame and nonlame stance phase were analysed using a 2-way analysis of variance. The head, withers and tuber sacrale showed a similar sinusoidal pattern in their vertical displacement, velocity and acceleration. During both fore- and hindlimb lameness at the trot, the vertical velocity of the trunk at impact of the lame limb decreased (P < 0.05), during the lame stance phase the trunk was kept higher above the ground, maximal acceleration decreased and displacement amplitude was smaller than without lameness. Changes in movements of the head were much more expressed than movements of the withers during forelimb lameness and reversed during hindlimb lameness. At the walk, head movement patterns changed in the same way as at the trot, while withers and tuber sacrale patterns were hardly changed. Symmetry indices of all landmarks showed changes due to increasing lameness at the trot. The maximal vertical acceleration of the head and displacement amplitude of the tuber sacrale proved to be the best indicators to quantify a fore- and hindlimb lameness, respectively.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1996

In vitro determination of equine third metacarpal bone unloading, using a full limb cast and a walking cast.

OBJECTIVE: To improve fracture treatment, in vitro experiments were performed to study the influence of a full limb cast and a walking cast on the loading regimen of bones in the distal portion of the equine forelimb. ANIMALS: 6 forelimbs of 6 Shetland ponies. PROCEDURE: Loading of the third metacarpal bone was considered a representative measure for distal limb loading. Electrical resistance rosette strain gauges were attached to the dorsal, palmar, medial, and lateral surfaces of the midshaft of this bone in 6 forelimbs of 6 Shetland ponies. The limbs were tested in a pneumatic loading device to a maximal load of 1,500 N. RESULTS: Both casts decreased the amount of compressive forces acting on the metacarpal bone. Application of a full limb cast resulted in a variable and eccentric decrease, remaining strains ranging from 84 to 7% of the baseline value. A walking cast was superior in that it gave a centric and more uniform reduction of compressive loading to < 11% of the baseline value. Moreover, a walking cast neutralized the bending and torsion components of the loading. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the clinical experience that a walking cast creates more reliable and favorable conditions for healing of fractures than does a full limb cast.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Biomechanical effects of rocker-toed shoes in sound horses.

In many Western European countries rocker-toed shoes are applied routinely in sound horses. This is in contrast to most Anglo-Saxon countries where rocker-toed shoes are used almost exclusively for corrective or orthopaedic shoeing. The purposes of rocker-toed shoes are to hasten or facilitate breakover, or to encourage breakover to occur at the centre of the toe. This study compares the biomechanical effects of rocker-toed shoes with standard flat shoes in twelve sound Dutch warmblood horses, using a modified CODA-3 gait analysis system and a force plate. The variables analysed were speed of breakover, the moment of force in the coffin joint which is related to the 'ease' of breakover, the flight arc of the hoof in the sagittal and horizontal planes and some more general linear, temporal and angular stride characteristics. No differences between rocker-toed shoes and standard flat shoes were found with respect to the duration or ease of breakover or the proximity of breakover to the centre of the toe. It is concluded that rocker-toed shoes do not influence the stride characteristics of sound Dutch warmblood horses, and the findings of this study showed no objective grounds for the use of rocker-toed shoes in sound horses.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Are kinematics of the walk related to the locomotion of a warmblood horse at the trot?

In purchase examinations or at studbook selection sales the locomotor apparatus of horses is judged both at walk and trot. To evaluate whether kinematics of the walk are related to the locomotion at the trot, fore and hind limb movements of a group of 24 26-month-old warmbloods were recorded at walk and trot on a treadmill (1.6 and 4 m/s) using a modified CODA-3 gait analysis system. The intralimb coordination patterns at walk and trot were compared, and temporal and spatial variables of these gaits were related. Stride and stance durations (s) were shorter at the trot, while the stance distance (m) and swing duration (s) remained the same. Moreover, the pattern of the joint angle-time curves at walk and trot looked rather similar, though shifted to the left at trot because of the shorter relative stance duration. During the stance phase, the shoulder, stifle and tarsal joints were more flexed throughout, while the carpal and fetlock joints were more maximally extended in the trot than in the walk. In the swing phase, the elbow, carpal, stifle, and tarsal joints were more flexed because of the higher 'operating' speed at the trot compared to the walk. All other kinematic variables at the trot could be predicted from the mean +/- lsd of the values recorded at the walk. Moreover, nearly all kinematic variables at the walk correlated well with those at the trot, while variables indicating gait quality of the walk were similar to the ones identified previously for the trot. In conclusion, kinematics recorded at the walk in a group of horses were similar to and thus predictive for locomotion at the trot providing the decreased stance duration and the increased speed of the trot are taken into consideration.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

The diagnostic nerve block of the sesamoidean nerve: desensitized structures and possible clinical applications.

The sesamoidean nerve branches from the palmar nerve and runs towards the proximal sesamoid bone. To study the structures innervated by this nerve, a technique for blocking it was developed. The effect of this nerve block was determined in ponies with an induced lameness located in the lateral proximal sesamoid bone (5 ponies) or in the distal part of the lateral branch of the suspensory ligament (5 ponies), and in 10 horses with clinical sesamoidosis. A lameness provoked by the implantation of an expansion plug in the proximal sesamoid bone could, to a large extent, be anaesthetized by a sesamoidean nerve block. However, lameness due to a local tendonitis in the lateral branch of the suspensory ligament, was only partially eliminated by a sesamoidean nerve block. In horses with sesamoidosis the lameness improved, on average, by about 30%. It is concluded that the sesamoidean nerve contains sensory fibres that innervate the proximal sesamoid bone. The sesamoidean nerve block is highly specific for pain originating from the proximal sesamoid bone including the adjacent distal part of the extensor branch of the suspensory ligament. In horses suffering from sesamoidosis the main source of pain appears not to be located in the proximal sesamoid bone. The specificity of the sesamoidean nerve block makes it a useful technique for differentiating the site of a lameness located in the fetlock area.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

The effect of the high palmar nerve block and the ulnar nerve block on lameness provoked by a collagenase-induced tendonitis of the lateral branch of the suspensory ligament.

Controversy exists with respect to the innervation of the suspensory ligament (SL) in the fore limb of the horse. It is uncertain whether this structure is exclusively innervated by branches of the ulnar nerve or also to some extent by median nerve branches. Ground Reaction Forces (GRF) were determined in horses before and after the induction of a tendonitis in the lateral branch of the SL by the injection of collagenase, and before and after a high palmar and an ulnar block respectively. The high palmar block succeeded in bringing all GRF variables back to their original values which the ulnar block did not. It is concluded that the SL is innervated by branches of both the ulnar and the median nerves, with the median nerve being relatively more important for the distal part of the SL.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

The effect of diagnostic regional nerve blocks in the fore limb on the locomotion of clinically sound horses.

The practice of applying diagnostic nerve blocks relies on the assumption that the blocks in themselves do not alter the horse's gait. This assumption has recently been challenged. In the present paper a series of sequential nerve blocks (low palmar digital block, abaxial sesamoid block, high palmar block) was applied to clinically sound horses. Before and after each block the gait was clinically scored and Ground Reaction Forces (GRF) were measured. Clinical scoring did not change after any of the nerve blocks. None of the GRF variables changed significantly except for a slight alteration of the time at which the longitudinal GRF changed from a decelerative to a propulsive force. It is concluded that the basic assumption that diagnostic nerve blocks do not essentially alter the gait of a sound horse is correct.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Comparison of the workload of Dutch warmblood horses ridden normally and on a treadmill.

Six Dutch warmblood horses, ridden by an experienced rider, cantered 3320 m at a speed adapted to the individual horse's anaerobic threshold, under four different conditions: 1, on a firm shell track with the speed varying from 6.5 to 9.4 m/s; 2, on a horizontal treadmill at the same speeds and for the same duration as in test 1; 3, on a horizontal treadmill for the same duration as in tests 1 and 2, but at a 10 per cent higher speed; and 4, on a treadmill at the same speed and for the same duration as in test 1, but at an inclination of 1 to 2 per cent adjusted individually to obtain heart rates similar to those recorded in test 1. On the basis of the heart rates and plasma lactate concentrations, the workload of the horses was significantly greater in the normal exercise test (1) than in the first treadmill test (2). Increasing the speed of the test on the horizontal treadmill by 10 per cent (test 3) resulted in heart rates and plasma lactate concentrations similar to those recorded in test 1. Inclining the treadmill on the basis of the heart rates achieved in test 1 had a less consistent effect than increasing the speed, but imitated a normal exercise test better than the horizontal treadmill test 2.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Predictive value of foal kinematics for the locomotor performance of adult horses.

The gait of 24 horses was recorded on a treadmill when they were trotting at 4 m sec-1, first when they were four months old and again when they were 26 months. The data recorded at four months were used to predict the locomotion of the adult horses, and the predictions were assessed against the data recorded at 26 months. The locomotion of the foals and the adults appeared to be closely related, when the differences in segment length and joint angles due to growth were taken into account. The duration of swing, the total range of protraction and retraction, and the maximum tarsal flexion could be used to predict adult locomotion, because they correlated very well between the foals and adults. The durations of stance and stride in the foals had to be linearly and dynamically scaled to the height at the withers to become predictive for the adult values. The duration of swing, and the total range of protraction and retraction and the maximum tarsal flexion are also indicators of the quality of gait and as a result studies of foal kinematics can be used objectively to predict the locomotor performance of adult horses.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Bilateral lameness in horses--a kinematic study.

The kinematic pattern of mild bilateral lameness was studied by inducing a supporting limb lameness in both fore-limbs of 11 sound Dutch Warmblood horses. The kinematics of the horses were recorded while they trotted (3.5 m/s) on a treadmill. The locomotion analysis system CODA-3 was used to determine the temporal stride patterns, limb movements as well as head and trunk movement patterns. The transient lameness model, by which pressure-induced pain is evoked on the hoof sole, was used. Differences between left and right limbs as well as between the sound and the lame condition were tested using a paired t-test. Stride and stance duration did not change significantly (p < 0.05) during bilateral lameness compared to the pattern of sound horses. Diagonal advanced placement changed to an earlier placement of both forelimbs. Fetlock hyperextension decreased also in both forelimbs, while the pro- and retraction, hoof impact angle, maximal hoof height, and all hind limb variables remained unchanged. Vertical head and trunk movements tended to decrease, but these changes were not significant. It was concluded that fetlock hyperextension and diagonal advanced placement indicate locomotor disturbances, but that mild bilateral lameness may be difficult to distinguish from individual patterns in single assessments because of the lack of locomotor asymmetries. Evaluation of these variables at regular intervals may allow an early detection of bilateral lameness, which then could be confirmed by diagnostic local anaesthesia.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

How the horse moves: 1. Significance of graphical representations of equine forelimb kinematics.

The kinematics of 24 two-year-old Dutch Warmblood horses were recorded at the trot (4 m/s) on a high-speed treadmill to study the coordination of joints within the equine forelimb. Joint angle-time, angle-angle, stick, and marker diagrams were used to show forelimb motion graphically. Because the kinematic data referred to the joint angles of the horse standing squarely and were time-standardised to the duration of the stride cycle, mean joint curves could be calculated for the total group. The motion of each segment in the equine forelimb during a complete stride is described and its function in intralimb coordination evaluated. It appeared that the rotation of the scapula and the cranio-caudal movement of the distal forelimb are synchronous and pendular. The carpal joint rapidly snaps into overextension at the beginning of the stance phase to enable the forelimb to work as a propulsive strut. The fetlock joint acts as an elastic spring, thereby conserving energy and, at the same time, absorbs oscillations generated by initial ground contact. Furthermore, the coordination between carpal and fetlock joints in the swing phase appears to be strongly influenced by inertia. Using the graphic tools evaluated in this paper, we were able to visualise the kinematics of the equine forelimb and relate these to specific functions of the forelimb in locomotion. This information can be used to select kinematic variables for clinical studies in which equine forelimb function has to be described and quantified.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

How the horse moves: 2. Significance of graphical representations of equine hind limb kinematics.

Kinematic data of the equine hind limb are presented graphically and related to functional aspects of the hind limb in locomotion. The trot of 24 two-year-old Dutch Warmblood horses was recorded at 4 m/s on a high-speed treadmill using kinematic analysis equipment. Joint angle-time, angle-angle, stick and marker diagrams were used to present graphically the data following standardised procedures. As the kinematic data were expressed with reference to the joint angles of the horse standing squarely and were time-standardised to the duration of the stride cycle, mean joint curves for the total group could be calculated and therefore describe the function of the different segments of the equine hind limb. The motion of the hind limb in the sagittal plane appeared to be pendular around a rotation point in the acetabulum. During the stance phase the extension of the fetlock joint and stance flexion of the stifle, tarsal and coffin joints illustrate the shock absorption of the hind limb. In the swing phase the reciprocal apparatus, which forms the coupling mechanism between stifle and tarsal joint, also influences the fetlock joint because synchronous flexion and extension between these 3 joints were demonstrated. By graphically presenting hind limb motion we were able to illustrate the relation between kinematics and function. This graphic analysis can be used in clinical studies involving quantification of equine hind limb coordination in the sagittal plane.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Kinematic differences between the distal portions of the forelimbs and hind limbs of horses at the trot.

In literature, it has been hypothesized that the concussion at impact in the equine forelimb is larger than that in the hind limb, and therefore, eventually more clinical lameness may develop in the distal portion of the forelimbs. As the functional anatomy of the distal forelimb and hind limb segments is similar, a study was undertaken to compare the kinematics of hoof and fetlock in the forelimbs and hind limbs. For this purpose, the trot of 24 clinically normal (sound) horses on a treadmill (4 m/s) was recorded, using modern gait analysis equipment. It appeared that vertical hoof velocity at impact and the resulting vertical hoof acceleration were higher in the forelimb than in the hind limb. In contrast, horizontal hoof velocity at impact and the resulting horizontal acceleration were higher in the hind limb. Just after impact, the fetlock was more rapidly extended in the forelimb than the hind limb. The peak maximal and minimal accelerations of that joint also were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the forelimb than in the hind limb. Results of this study indicate that, at the beginning of the stance phase, the distal portion of the forelimb is subjected to more kinematic stress than the distal portion of the hind limb. The higher angular velocity of the fetlock can be interpreted as more rapid loading of this joint, whereas the higher peak accelerations represent the higher oscillatory changes in fetlock movement. It is known from literature that repetitive impulsive joint loading and rapid oscillations in joint movement, even within physiologic limits, contribute to development of osteoarthrosis. Therefore, the differences between distal forelimb and hind limb kinematics found in this study may be related to the generally known higher incidence of chronic lameness in the forelimbs.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Kinematics of treadmill versus overground locomotion in horses.

A kinematic analysis was carried out to compare treadmill and overground locomotion in horses at the trot. Stride variables and limb and trunk movements of 10 Dutch Warmblood horses were measured using the CODA-3 gait analysis system. Overground recordings were made on a rubber ground surface and on an asphalt track. Treadmill recordings were taken after a controlled habituation programme and at the same velocities as measured overground. On asphalt, a shorthened stride duration and a decreased vertical displacement of the withers were found compared with those on rubber ground. On the treadmill, stance duration of the forelimbs was longer than for either overground condition. Correspondingly, the hind limbs were placed earlier than the forelimbs in making diagonal ground contact in overground locomotion, but this changed to preceding forelimbs on the treadmill. Both forelimbs and hind limbs were moved more caudally during the retraction phase on the treadmill, while no differences were found in the protraction angle. The vertical movement of the hooves as well as the withers was smaller on the treadmill than on rubber ground. Treadmill belt velocity decreased by 9% during the stance phase. This is supposed to be an important reason for the differences in biomechanics and kinematics between treadmill and overground locomotion, which must be kept in mind when data obtained during treadmill locomotion have to be extrapolated to overground conditions.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Kinematic detection of superior gait quality in young trotting warmbloods.

This study was conducted to identify objective criteria to select young horses with a good gait, which is a prerequisite for good performance in adult horses. The trot of 24 26-month-old Dutch Warmbloods, led on a loose shank, was subjectively scored by a judge and objectively assessed on a treadmill by using kinematic analysis equipment. It appeared that forelimb and hind limb stride and swing duration, scapula rotation, forelimb maximal fetlock extension, forelimb maximal retraction, hind limb maximal protraction, maximal stifle flexion, and maximal tarsal flexion significantly correlated with a generally accepted gait score in which length, suppleness, and strength are judged. Moreover, the ranking of the individual horses on the basis of gait quality according to their objectively measured kinematic variables was similar to the subjective ranking given by the judge. Thus, a complete picture was obtained of the variables in equine locomotion that determine the quality of the trot in warmbloods.

Animal Husbandry↗

PubMed1994

In vitro mechanical properties of the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon in horses in relation to age.

The material properties of the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon (AL) of 21 forelimbs from horses between ages one day and 15 years were determined. The force (634-11416 N), failure stress (45-138 N/mm2), failure strain (7-24%) and tangent modulus (33-1639 MPa) are presented in relation to age. Tangent modulus did not indicate changes in elasticity due to age. The results demonstrate that complete ligament failures (CLF) of ALs of older horses (mean 7835 N) occur at lower forces than ALs of young adult horses (mean 8894 N). Sudden decreases, 'dips', in the force-time curves were noticed in ligaments from foals and yearlings and in ligaments from horses > 10 years. They were interpreted as the failure of a number of fibres which either fail at lower forces or are subject to higher forces than the rest. These differences in mechanical properties could be the result of age related differences in the material properties of ALs of older horses similar to alterations in collagenous tissue in other species. When analysing the data of the proximal, middle and distal regions of the ligaments separately, higher strain and elasticity were found in the distal compared to the proximal parts. It is suggested that the clinical occurrence of desmitis of the AL of older horses could be due to fibrillar failure caused by differences in the material properties of the ligaments.

Aging↗

PubMed1994

Cancellous bone grafting in the treatment of bovine septic physitis.

Eleven young cattle (8-24 months of age) were treated for septic physitis of the metacarpal or metatarsal bones. Two new elements were added to the traditional treatment. Firstly, homologous cancellous bone grafts were used for their osteoinductive properties even in an infected surrounding. (Actinomyces pyogenes was recovered most commonly.) Secondly, a walking cast was applied for better immobilization of the lower limb with minimal discomfort to the animal. After surgery, the 11 bovine patients needed an average walking cast period of 4.5 weeks and 1 to 2 weeks' treatment with antibiotics. The new treatment regime expedites the healing process and shows a success rate of 100%. Follow-up after 6 months revealed that all animals were completely sound without recurrence of the physitis.

Animals↗