Have you ever had a horse that has a difficult or complicated lameness? Evaluating them to figure out what region is causing the pain can be, well, a pain! We as veterinarians also get frustrated by subtle or multiple limb lameness cases as so much of the examination can be subjective and even inconsistent between veterinarians (1). At Heritage Equine Clinic, we have purchased an analytical lameness evaluation tool called the Equinosis Q. The system employs inertial sensors to give objective measurements to lameness. Reports allow us to gauge response to flexions, lameness on circles, and improvement with regional or joint blocks. Our goal is to take the guesswork out of the often-nebulous examination process.
The sensors are easy to apply and can help us on different surfaces and even between dates. One of our primary uses of the system is to establish a baseline evaluation in horses that are in moderate to heavy work to ensure that mild issues are not starting to affect the horse’s performance. Preventing more significant soft tissue injuries with extended rest periods would be an ideal scenario for sport horses. The system’s sensitivity is 10 times higher than the human eye, so early and subtle issues can be detected far easier using the Equinosis Q. Numerous research articles have proven the use of the system for standardizing the lameness exam (2,3).
If you have a horse you would like evaluated, don’t hesitate to reach out to Heritage Equine Clinic at 303-578-5898. More information can be seen by visiting here (www.equinosis.com).
References
1. Keegan, K. G., Wilson, D. A., Kramer, J., Reed, S. K., Yonezawa, Y., Maki, H., Pai, P. F., & Lopes, M. A. F. (2013). Comparison of a body-mounted inertial sensor system–based method with subjective evaluation for detection of lameness in horses, American Journal of Veterinary Research, 74(1), 17-24. Retrieved Nov 12, 2021, from https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/ajvr/74/1/ajvr.74.1.17.xml
2. KEEGAN, K.G., DENT, E.V., WILSON, D.A., JANICEK, J., KRAMER, J., LACARRUBBA, A., WALSH, D.M., CASSELLS, M.W., ESTHER, T.M., SCHILTZ, P., FREES, K.E., WILHITE, C.L., CLARK, J.M., POLLITT, C.C., SHAW, R. and NORRIS, T. (2010), Repeatability of subjective evaluation of lameness in horses. Equine Veterinary Journal, 42: 92-97. https://doi.org/10.2746/042516409X479568
3. Keegan, K. G., Kramer, J., Yonezawa, Y., Maki, H., Pai, P. F., Dent, E. V., Kellerman, T. E., Wilson, D. A., & Reed, S. K. (2011). Assessment of repeatability of a wireless, inertial sensor–based lameness evaluation system for horses, American Journal of Veterinary Research, 72(9), 1156-1163. Retrieved Nov 12, 2021, from https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/ajvr/72/9/ajvr.72.9.1156.xml
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