A Scoping Review of Equine Biomechanics Revisited.
Authors: Egenvall, Byström, Lindsten, Clayton
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: A Scoping Review of Equine Biomechanics Revisited Egenvall and colleagues re-examined a previously published scoping review mapping the equine biomechanics literature, specifically investigating how methodological choices in search strategy affect the comprehensiveness of literature synthesis. By refining the original search criteria—most critically, removing the restriction that papers must include "equine" or "horse" in the title—the authors identified 77% more relevant publications than the initial review, demonstrating substantial gaps in literature retrieval methodology. The findings underscore a critical lesson for anyone conducting or relying on systematic literature reviews: overly restrictive search terms risk excluding pertinent research and distorting our understanding of what evidence actually exists within a discipline. For equine professionals seeking current evidence on movement analysis, gait abnormalities, or training-related biomechanics, this work highlights the importance of scrutinising how literature reviews were conducted before drawing conclusions about the state of the evidence. Practitioners and researchers should remain alert to potential blind spots in published reviews and consider using broad, iterative search strategies when investigating specific equine-related questions.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •When researching equine biomechanics topics, use broad and varied search terms beyond just 'equine' and 'horse' to ensure you find all relevant literature
- •Be aware that literature reviews on equine movement may miss substantial portions of relevant research depending on how thoroughly the search was conducted
- •Current equine biomechanical research is more accessible than ever before, providing practitioners with increasingly available tools and information
Key Findings
- •A repeated scoping review of equine biomechanics literature yielded 77% more publications than the original review when search strategies were not limited to papers containing 'equine' or 'horse' in the title
- •Search strategy design and inclusivity of search terms significantly impact the comprehensiveness of literature reviews in equine biomechanics
- •The accessibility and affordability of biomechanical research techniques has led to an explosion in published literature on equine movement analysis