The effect of perineural anaesthesia and handler position on limb loading and hoof balance of the vertical ground reaction force in sound horses.
Authors: Van de Water E, Oosterlinck M, Pille F
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Pressure plate analysis has become an increasingly valuable diagnostic tool for equine lameness, yet its interpretation relies on understanding how various procedural factors influence measurements in sound horses. Van de Water and colleagues investigated whether handler positioning and perineural anaesthesia—both common elements in clinical lameness evaluation—might artificially alter limb loading patterns or hoof balance, using pressure plate technology to measure peak vertical force, vertical impulse, stance time, and detailed toe-heel and mediolateral hoof loading curves across the stance phase. Six sound horses were walked and trotted over the plate under four conditions: handler on the left and right sides, and before and after bilateral low palmar digital and abaxial sesamoidean nerve blocks, with measurements repeated after one week to assess consistency. Neither handler position nor either nerve block produced statistically significant changes in any limb loading parameter or hoof balance curve component, and individual horses showed comparable measurements across the one-week interval. These findings are critical for farriers, veterinarians and physiotherapists performing lameness diagnostics, as they validate that subtle changes in procedural variables need not confound pressure plate analysis in sound horses—allowing clinicians to confidently attribute loading asymmetries detected in lame animals to genuine pathology rather than methodological artefacts.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Handler positioning during pressure plate evaluation does not confound results—practitioners can stand on either side without affecting measurements in sound horses
- •Perineural blocks used during diagnostic workup do not artificially alter pressure plate readings in non-lame horses, supporting their use in lameness investigations
- •Pressure plate baseline measurements are reliable and reproducible within individual horses, making this tool suitable for comparative lameness diagnosis and monitoring
Key Findings
- •Handler position (left vs right side) had no significant effect on peak vertical force, vertical impulse, stance time, or hoof balance curves in sound horses
- •Bilateral low palmar digital nerve block and abaxial sesamoidean nerve block did not significantly affect limb loading or toe-heel and mediolateral hoof balance
- •Limb loading data and hoof balance curves remained comparable for individual horses across a one-week interval, demonstrating test-retest reliability
- •Hoof balance curves were unaffected by handler position and perineural anaesthesia, establishing baseline validity for lameness diagnosis using pressure plate analysis