Clinical Research Abstracts of the British Equine Veterinary Association Congress 2015.
Authors: Tucker R, Jacklin B D, Gillespie S, Vaughan L, Fiske-Jackson A R, Smith R K
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) injuries remain a significant concern in equine practice, largely because altered tendon stiffness substantially increases the risk of re-injury during the healing and rehabilitation process. Whilst dynamic kinematic analysis can reliably measure limb stiffness and correlate it with actual tendon stiffness changes post-injury, the practical demands of this approach make it unsuitable for routine clinical monitoring. Tucker and colleagues have therefore developed a static measurement system capable of assessing limb stiffness without requiring sophisticated motion analysis equipment. This practical tool could allow practitioners to objectively track tendon healing progression and refine rehabilitation protocols by identifying when stiffness characteristics have normalised sufficiently to advance exercise programmes. Adopting such objective measures may help reduce re-injury rates, which remain problematically high in SDFT cases and represent significant economic and welfare concerns.
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Practical Takeaways
- •A new static measurement system could provide a practical clinical tool for monitoring superficial digital flexor tendon healing without requiring kinematic analysis equipment
- •Limb stiffness measurement may help identify horses at risk of re-injury by tracking changes in tendon stiffness during rehabilitation
Key Findings
- •In vivo measurement of limb stiffness correlates with tendon stiffness after SDFT injury
- •A simple static system for measuring limb stiffness has been developed as a potential clinical monitoring tool for SDFT healing