Segmental <i>in vivo</i> vertebral kinematics at the walk, trot and canter: a preliminary study
Authors: HAUSSLER K. K., BERTRAM J. E. A., GELLMAN K., HERMANSON J. W.
Journal: Equine Veterinary Journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Vertebral column dysfunction remains a significant clinical challenge in equine practice, yet direct measurement of how individual spinal segments move during exercise has been lacking until now. Haussler and colleagues used an innovative approach with liquid metal strain gauge transducers attached to implanted pins in the dorsal spinous processes of three clinically sound horses, allowing them to quantify three-dimensional segmental motion across the thoracic, lumbar and lumbosacral regions during treadmill exercise. The lumbosacral junction demonstrated substantially greater motion than other instrumented regions, whilst overall segmental movement was greatest during canter and least during trot, with the magnitude of dorsoventral flexion, lateral bending and axial rotation recorded continuously throughout multiple strides. These findings provide farriers, veterinarians and physiotherapists with baseline normative data for understanding healthy spinal biomechanics, establishing crucial reference points against which to evaluate restricted or excessive segmental motion in horses presenting with back pain or performance issues. The methodology opens a new avenue for investigating how pathology, training load and conformational variation influence vertebral kinematics, ultimately informing treatment strategies and injury prevention protocols.
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Practical Takeaways
- •The lumbosacral junction is a biomechanical hotspot experiencing the most motion—focus assessment and treatment efforts here when investigating back issues
- •Gait choice matters: canter produces greater spinal stress than trot, relevant for rehabilitation and training load management in horses with back problems
- •Direct segmental vertebral kinematics measurement is now feasible, enabling more precise diagnosis and monitoring of equine back dysfunction beyond clinical palpation alone
Key Findings
- •The lumbosacral junction exhibited the largest motion of the three instrumented vertebral segments
- •Greatest segmental vertebral motion occurred during canter, least during trot
- •3D in vivo segmental vertebral motion measurement provides new perspective for evaluating back problems
- •Relative movements between adjacent vertebrae were successfully measured using liquid metal strain gauge transducers implanted on dorsal spinous processes