Descriptive epidemiology of fracture, tendon and suspensory ligament injuries in National Hunt racehorses in training

Equine Veterinary Journal

Volumn 41, Issue 4, 2009, Pages 372-378

  Ely, E R ^a,b   Avella, C S ^a,b   Price, J S ^a,b   Smith, R K W ^a,b   Wood, J L N ^a,c   Verheyen, K L P ^a,b  

^a ANIMAL HEALTH TRUST   (United Kingdom)

^b ROYAL VETERINARY COLLEGE   (United Kingdom)

^c UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Epidemiology; Fracture; Horse; Incidence; Racehorse; Tendon injury

Indexed keywords

CONGIOPODIDAE; EQUIDAE;

ANIMAL; ANIMAL DISEASE; ANIMAL EXPERIMENT; ARTICLE; FEMALE; FRACTURE; HORSE; HORSE DISEASE; INJURY; LIGAMENT; MALE; TENDON INJURY; UNITED KINGDOM;

ANIMALS; ENGLAND; FEMALE; FRACTURES, BONE; HORSE DISEASES; HORSES; LIGAMENTS; MALE; PHYSICAL CONDITIONING, ANIMAL; TENDON INJURIES;

EID: 67651172893     PISSN: 04251644     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2746/042516409X371224     Document Type: Article

References (32)

1. Anon (2003) Horses in Training 2003, Raceform Ltd, Newbury.
2. Anon (2004) Horses in Training 2004, Raceform Ltd, Newbury.
3. Anon (2005) Horses in Training 2005, Raceform Ltd, Newbury.
4. Barnekow-Bergkvist, M., Hedberg, G., Pettersson, U. and Lorentzon, R. (2006) Relationships between physical activity and physical capacity in adolescent females and bone mass in adulthood. Scand. J. Med. Sci. Sports 16, 447-455.
5. Bass, S., Pearce, G., Bradney, M., Hendrich, E., Delmas, P.D., Harding, A. and Seeman, E. (1998) Exercise before puberty may confer residual benefits in bone density in adulthood: studies in active prepubertal and retired female gymnasts. J. Bone Min. Res. 13, 500-507.
6. Boden, L.A., Anderson, G.A., Charles, J.A., Morgan, K.L., Morton, J.M., Parkin, T.D., Slocombe, R.F. and Clarke, A.F. (2006) Risk of fatality and causes of death of Thoroughbred horses associated with racing in Victoria, Australia: 1989-2004. Equine vet. J. 38, 312-318.
7. Boston, R.C. and Nunamaker, D.M. (2000) Gait and speed as exercise components of risk factors associated with onset of fatigue injury of the third metacarpal bone in 2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses. Am. J. vet. Res. 61, 602-608.
8. Ely, E.R., Verheyen, K.L. and Wood, J.L. (2004) Fractures and tendon injuries in National Hunt horses in training in the UK: a pilot study. Equine vet. J. 36, 365-367.
9. Firth, E.C., Rogers, C.W., Doube, M. and Jopson, N.B. (2005) Musculoskeletal responses of 2-year-old Thoroughbred horses to early training. 6. Bone parameters in the third metacarpal and third metatarsal bones. N. Z. vet. J. 53, 101-112.
10. Haussler, K.K. and Stover, S.M. (1998) Stress fractures of the vertebral lamina and pelvis in Thoroughbred racehorses. Equine vet. J. 30, 374-381.
11. Heinonen, A., Kannus, P., Sievanen, H., Oja, P., Pasanen, M., Rinne, M., Uusi-Rasi, K. and Vuori, I. (1996) Randomised controlled trial of effect of high-impact exercise on selected risk factors for osteoporotic fractures. Lancet 348, 1343-1347.
12. Jackson, B.F., Goodship, A.E., Eastell, R. and Price, J.S. (2003) Evaluation of serum concentrations of biochemical markers of bone metabolism and insulin-like growth factor I associated with treadmill exercise in young horses. Am. J. vet. Res. 64, 1549-1556.
13. Kasashima, Y., Takahashi, T., Smith, R.K., Goodship, A.E., Kuwano, A., Ueno, T. and Hirano, S. (2004) Prevalence of superficial digital flexor tendonitis and suspensory desmitis in Japanese Thoroughbred flat racehorses in 1999. Equine vet. J. 36, 346-350.
14. Lam, K.K., Parkin, T.D., Riggs, C.M. and Morgan, K.L. (2007) Evaluation of detailed training data to identify risk factors for retirement because of tendon injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses. Am. J. vet. Res. 68, 1188-1197.
15. Marr, C.M., Love, S., Boyd, J.S. and McKellar, Q. (1993) Factors affecting the clinical outcome of injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon in National Hunt and point-to-point racehorses. Vet. Rec. 132, 476-479.
16. McKee, S.L. (1995) An update on racing fatalities in the UK. Equine vet. Educ. 7, 202-204.
17. Parkin, T.D., Clegg, P.D., French, N.P., Proudman, C.J., Riggs, C.M., Singer, E.R., Webbon, P.M. and Morgan, K.L. (2004a) Risk of fatal distal limb fractures among Thoroughbreds involved in the five types of racing in the United Kingdom. Vet. Rec. 154, 493-497.
18. Parkin, T.D., Clegg, P.D., French, N.P., Proudman, C.J., Riggs, C.M., Singer, E.R., Webbon, P.M. and Morgan, K.L. (2004b) Race-and course-level risk factors for fatal distal limb fracture in racing Thoroughbreds. Equine vet. J. 36, 521-526.
19. Parkin, T.D., Clegg, P.D., French, N.P., Proudman, C.J., Riggs, C.M., Singer, E.R., Webbon, P.M. and Morgan, K.L. (2004c) Horse-level risk factors for fatal distal limb fracture in racing Thoroughbreds in the UK. Equine vet. J. 36, 513-519.
20. Parkin, T.D., Clegg, P.D., French, N.P., Proudman, C.J., Riggs, C.M., Singer, E.R., Webbon, P.M. and Morgan, K.L. (2006a) Analysis of horse race videos to identify intra-race risk factors for fatal distal limb fracture. Prev. vet. Med. 74, 44-55.
21. Parkin, T.D., Rogers, K., Stirk, A.J., Hillyer, L.L., Webbon, P.M. and Newton, J.R. (2006b) Risk factors for tendon strain injury during racing in Great Britain. In: 16th International Conference of Racing Analysts and Veterinarians, Tokyo. p 104.
22. Patterson-Kane, J.C., Parry, D.A., Goodship, A.E. and Firth, E.C. (1997) Exercise modifies the age-related change in crimp pattern in the core region of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon. N. Z. vet. J. 45, 135-139.
23. Pickersgill, C.H. (2000) Epidemiological studies into orthopaedic conditions of the equine athlete. MVM thesis, University of Glasgow, Glasgow.
24. Pinchbeck, G.L., Clegg, P.D., Proudman, C.J., Stirk, A., Morgan, K.L. and French, N.P. (2004) Horse injuries and racing practices in National Hunt racehorses in the UK: the results of a prospective cohort study. Vet. J. 167, 45-52.
25. Reilly, G.C., Currey, J.D. and Goodship, A.E. (1997) Exercise of young thoroughbred horses increases impact strength of the third metacarpal bone. J. orthop. Res. 15, 862-868.
26. Sharps, J., Wilson, A. and Marr, C.M. (2003) Risk factors associated with acute superficial digital flexor tendon injury in National Hunt training establishments from May 2000 to April 2001. In: Handbook of the 42nd Congress of the British Equine Veterinary Association, Equine Veterinary Journal Ltd, Newmarket. p 273.
27. Smith, R.K., Birch, H.L., Goodman, S., Heinegard, D. and Goodship, A.E. (2002) The influence of ageing and exercise on tendon growth and degeneration-- hypotheses for the initiation and prevention of strain-induced tendinopathies. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A. Mol. Integr. Physiol. 133, 1039-1050.
28. Verheyen, K., Price, J., Lanyon, L. and Wood, J. (2006a) Exercise distance and speed affect the risk of fracture in racehorses. Bone 39, 1322-1330.
29. Verheyen, K.L., Newton, J.R., Price, J.S. and Wood, J.L. (2006b) A case-control study of factors associated with pelvic and tibial stress fractures in Thoroughbred racehorses in training in the UK. Prev. vet. Med. 74, 21-35.
30. Verheyen, K.L.P. and Wood, J.L.N. (2004) Descriptive epidemiology of fractures occurring in British Thoroughbred racehorses in training. Equine vet. J. 36, 167-173.
31. Williams, R.B., Harkins, L.S., Hammond, C.J. and Wood, J.L. (2001) Racehorse injuries, clinical problems and fatalities recorded on British racecourses from flat racing and National Hunt racing during 1996, 1997 and 1998. Equine vet. J. 33, 478-486.
32. Witzke, K.A. and Snow, C.M. (2000) Effects of plyometric jump training on bone mass in adolescent girls. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 32, 1051-1057.