Effect of Fatigue on Equine Metacarpophalangeal Joint Kinematics-A Single Horse Pilot Study.
Authors: Pugliese Brenna R, Carballo Cristina T, Connolly Kevin M, Mazan Melissa R, Kirker-Head Carl A
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Fatigue and Metacarpophalangeal Joint Kinematics Fatigue-induced changes in limb biomechanics are poorly understood in horses, yet they may contribute to injury risk during competition and training. Researchers used electrogoniometry to measure real-time angular motion of the metacarpophalangeal joint in a single Thoroughbred gelding exercised to exhaustion on a treadmill across three gaits, comparing nonfatigued and fatigued states (defined as heart rate >190 BPM and blood lactate >10 mmol/L). Key findings included increased maximum extension angles at the metacarpophalangeal joint during fatigue, altered extension and flexion velocities, and increased stride duration with reduced stride frequency—changes that were consistently measurable across all three gaits. Whilst this pilot study validates the methodological approach rather than providing definitive clinical guidelines, the findings suggest fatigue substantially alters distal forelimb mechanics in ways that could predispose to injury; larger multisubject investigations are now needed to establish whether these kinematic shifts represent protective compensation, pathological loading patterns, or both, with implications for exercise programming and injury prevention strategies in equine athletes.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Fatigue induces measurable changes in fetlock joint mechanics that could be monitored to prevent overtraining and reduce distal limb injury risk in performance horses
- •Increased extension angles and altered joint velocities during fatigue may indicate compensatory movement patterns; detecting these changes early could guide training modifications
- •Future multisubject research may enable development of fatigue thresholds specific to individual athletes to optimize conditioning and recovery protocols
Key Findings
- •Mean metacarpophalangeal joint maximum extension angle increased with fatigue onset
- •Extension and flexion angular velocities altered significantly during fatigued state
- •Stride duration increased and stride frequency decreased with fatigue, correlating with blood lactate >10 mmol/L and heart rate >190 BPM
- •Electrogoniometry successfully characterized dynamic MCPJ kinematics changes across trot, slow canter, and fast canter gaits