Risk factors for superficial digital flexor tendinopathy in Thoroughbred racehorses in South Korea (2015-2019).
Authors: Choi, Parkin
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Superficial Digital Flexor Tendinopathy in South Korean Racehorses: What the Numbers Tell Us Whilst superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendinopathy represents a significant cause of racing retirement in South Korea's Thoroughbred population, the specific risk factors contributing to this injury in that region had remained unstudied until now. Choi and Parkin's retrospective case-control analysis examined 101 horses diagnosed with SDF tendinopathy following fast-exercise between 2015–2019, comparing them against 304 healthy controls, using multivariable logistic regression to isolate modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. Lower-graded horses (grades 6 and ungraded) showed substantially elevated injury risk, as did those with sparse gallop training in the 60 days pre-event, excessive canter work over the preceding 180 days, or gaps exceeding 90 days without fast-exercise in the preceding year—notably, racing and trial racing posed significantly greater injury risk than routine galloping. For practitioners managing racing programmes, these findings suggest that prophylactic strategies targeting underperforming horses and those with insufficient or inconsistent fast-work patterns could meaningfully reduce SDF injury rates, though the study's inability to capture training intensity and distance means that speed and volume modulation remain important variables to monitor independently.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Maintain consistent gallop training frequency in the 60 days before racing—avoid sudden increases in competition intensity without adequate preparation
- •Monitor lower-graded horses closely as they carry higher SDF injury risk; consider additional conditioning before racing
- •Avoid prolonged layoffs (>90 days without fast-exercise) and balance training modalities; excessive canter work without galloping may increase vulnerability to SDF injury
Key Findings
- •SDF tendinopathy was significantly more likely to occur after racing or trial racing compared to galloping training
- •Lower-graded horses (grade 6 or ungraded) had higher risk of SDF injury than higher-graded performers
- •Fewer gallop training days in the 60 days preceding fast-exercise increased SDF injury risk
- •Extended periods without fast-exercise (>90 days) in the prior year and increased canter training days were associated with higher SDF tendinopathy risk