Retrospective evaluation of equine prepurchase examinations performed 1991-2000.
Authors: van Hoogmoed, Snyder, Thomas, Harmon
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Prepurchase Radiographic Findings and Clinical Correlation This retrospective analysis of 510 prepurchase examinations (1991–2000) evaluated the relationship between radiographic changes in the navicular bone, distal phalanx, and tarsi against lameness findings and subsequent athletic performance. Radiography was performed in 61.6% of cases, predominantly of the front feet (86.6%), and lesions were graded on a severity scale with follow-up data available for 173 horses. Notably, whilst higher radiographic grades in the navicular bone and distal phalanx correlated with lameness at the time of examination, tarsal changes showed a weaker association—horses with Grade 3 tarsal lesions (proximal intertarsal and distal intertarsal/metatarsal joints) frequently remained in active competition, with 20 of 21 Grade 3 cases still in use at follow-up. The critical finding for practitioners is that radiographic interpretation must be contextualised within the clinical lameness examination; moderate-to-severe radiographic changes, particularly in the tarsus, do not necessarily predict poor future soundness, suggesting that over-interpretation of dorsoplantar or lateromedial navicular radiographs risks unnecessarily eliminating purchasable horses. This work emphasises that prepurchase assessment requires integrated clinical judgment rather than reliance on imaging alone, with tarsal degenerative changes warranting particular caution against prognostic pessimism.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Radiographic findings must be interpreted alongside clinical lameness examination—radiographic changes alone, particularly in the tarsus, do not reliably predict future soundness or performance
- •Horses with significant tarsal osteoarthritis can still compete at their expected level, so purchasers should not reflexively reject horses based on tarsal radiographs alone
- •Prepurchase examinations significantly influence sale outcomes; ensure radiographic interpretation is contextual to the individual horse's clinical presentation and intended use
Key Findings
- •52.8% of prepurchase examination horses were lame; Thoroughbred geldings aged ~8 years with mean asking price $12,439 were most common
- •Radiography was performed in 61.6% of cases with front feet views most common (86.6%); Grade 1 navicular and Grade 2 distal phalanx changes predominated
- •Higher radiographic grades in navicular bone and distal phalanx correlated with lameness, but tarsal changes showed weaker correlation with lameness
- •Of horses with Grade 3 tarsal changes (n=21), 20/21 remained in active use at follow-up, indicating radiographic severity does not preclude function