Download PDF
Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 2007; 20(02): 86-91
DOI: 10.1160/VCOT-07-01-0011
Original Research
Schattauer GmbH

3D kinematics of the equine metacarpophalangeal joint at walk and trot

H. M. Clayton
1   Mary Anne McPhail Equine Performance Center, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine
,
D. Sha
1   Mary Anne McPhail Equine Performance Center, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine
,
J. Stick
1   Mary Anne McPhail Equine Performance Center, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine
,
N. Elvin
2   College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 18 January 2007

Accepted 14 March 2007

Publication Date:
18 December 2017 (online)

Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Summary

The metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint and its supporting soft tissues are common sites of injury in athletic horses. Equine gait analysis has focused on 2D analysis in the sagittal plane and little information is available which describes 3D motions of the MCP joint and their possible role in the development of injuries. The aim was to characterize the 3D rotations of the equine MCP joint during walking and trotting. Three-dimensional trajectories of marker triads fixed rigidly to the third metacarpus and proximal phalanx of the right forelimb of healthy horses were recorded at walk (n=4) and trot (n=6) at 120 Hz using eight infra-red cameras. Kinematics of the MCP joint were calculated in terms of helical angles between the two segments using singular-value decomposition and spatial attitude methods. The ranges of motion were: flexion/extension: 62 ± 7° at walk, 77 ± 5° at trot; adduction/abduction: 13 ± 7° at walk, 18 ± 7° at trot; and axial rotation: 6 ± 3° at walk, 9 ± 5° at trot. Flexion/extension had a consistent pattern and amplitude in all horses and appeared to be coupled with adduction/abduction, such that stance phase extension was accompanied by abduction and swing phase flexion was accompanied by adduction. Axial rotation was small in amount and the direction varied between horses but was consistent within an individual for the two gaits.

Keywords

Kinematics - joint angles - horse - locomotion - fetlock joint
 

  • References

  • 1 Back W, Schamhardt HC, Savelberg HHCM. et al. How the horse moves: significance of graphical representations of equine forelimb kinematics. Equine VetJ 1995; 27: 31-38.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Drevemo S, Johnston C. Roepstorff et al. Nerve block and intra-articular anaesthesia of the fore- limb in the sound horse. Equine Vet J 1999; S30: 266-269.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Hodson EF, Clayton HM, Lanovaz JL. The fore- limb in walking horses: 1. Kinematics and ground reaction forces. Equine Vet J 2000; 32: 287-294.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Herring L, Thompson KN, Jarret S. Defining normal three-dimensional kinematics of the lower forelimb of the horse. J Equine Vet Sci 1992; 12: 172-176.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Ramakrishnan HK, Kadaba MP. Onthe estimation of joint kinematics during gait. J Biomech 1991; 24: 969-997.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Lanovaz JL, Khumsap S, Clayton HM. et al. Three-dimensional kinematics of the tarsal joint at the trot. Equine Vet J 2002; S34: 308-313.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Clayton HM, Sha DH, Stick JA. et al. Three dimensional kinematics of the equine carpus at trot. Equine Vet J 2004; 36: 671-676.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Chateau H, Degueurce C, Denoix J.-M.. Evaluation of three-dimensional kinematics of the distal portion of the forelimb in horses walking in a straight line. Am J Vet Res 2004; 65: 447-455.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Chateau H, Degueurce C, Denoix J-M. Three-dimensional of the distal forelimb in horses trotting on atreadmill and effects of elevation of heel and toe. Equine Vet J 2006; 38: 164-169.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Clayton HM, Lanovaz JL, Schamhardt HC. et al. Net joint moments and powers in the equine forelimb in the stance phase of the trot. Equine Vet J 1998; 30: 384-389.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Colborne GR, Lanovaz JL, Sprigings EJ. et al. Forelimb joint moments and power during the walking stance phase of horse. Am JVet Res 1998; 59: 609-614.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Lanovaz JL, Clayton HM, Colborne GR. et al. Forelimb kinematics and net joint moments during the swing phase of the trot. Equine Vet J 1999; S30: 235-239.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Clayton HM, Lanovaz JL, Schamhardt HC. et al. Net joint moments and joint powers in equine forelimb during the stance phase of the trot. Equine Vet J 2000; 30: 384-389.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Clayton HM, Schamhardt HC, Lanovaz JL. et al. Net joint moments and joint powers in horses with superficial digital flexor tendinitis. Am J Vet Res 2000; 61: 197-201.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Pool RR. Traumatic injury and osteoarthritis. In: Joint disease in the horse. McIlwraith CW, Trotter GW. (eds). Philadelphia: WB. Saunders Company; 1996
    Google Scholar
  • 16 McGuigan McGuigan, Wilson AM. The effect of gait and digital flexor muscle activation on limb compliance in the forelimb of the horse Equus cab- allus. J Exp Biol 2003; 206: 1325-1336.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Brama PAJ, Karssenberg D, Barneveld A. et al. Contact areas and pressure distribution on the proximal articular surface ofthe proximal phalanx under sagittal plane loading. Equine Vet J 2001; 33: 26-32.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Reinschmidt C, van den Bogert AJ, Murphy N. et al. Tibiocalcaneal motion during running measured with external and bone markers. Clin Biomech 1997; 12: 8-16.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Lafortune Lafortune, Cavanagh PR, Sommer HJ. et al. Three-dimensional kinematics of the human knee during walking. J Biomech 1992; 25: 347-357.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 van Weeren PR, van den Bogert AJ, Barneveld A. A quantitative analysis of skin displacement in the trotting horse. Equine Vet J 1990; S9: 101-109.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Grood Grood, Suntay WJ. Ajoint coordinate system for the clinical description of three-dimensional motions: applications to the knee. J Biomech Eng 1983; 105: 136-144.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Soderkvist Soderkvist, Wedin PA. Determining the movements of the skeleton using well-configured markers. J Biomech 1993; 26: 1473-1477.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Spoor Spoor, Veldpaus FE. Rigid body motion calculated from spatial co-ordinates of markers. J Biomech 1980; 13: 391-393.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Woltring HJ. 3-D attitude representationofhuman joints: a standardization proposal. J Biomech 1994; 27: 1399-1414.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Mullineaux DR, Clayton HM, Gnagey LM. Effects of offset-normalizing techniques on variability in motion analysis data. J Appl Biomech 2004; 20: 177-184.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Butcher MT, Ashley-Ross MA. Fetlockjointkinematics differ with age in thoroughbred racehorses. J Biomech 2002; 35: 563-571.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Back W, Schamhardt HC, Barneveld A. Are kinematics of the walk related to the locomotion of a warmblood horse at the trot. Vet Quart 1996; 18 S2 S79-84.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Back W, Schamhardt HC, Barneveld A. The influence of conformation on fore and hind limb kinematics of the trotting Dutch warmblood horse. Pferdeheilkunde 1996; 12: 647-650.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Strand E, Martin GS, Crawford MP. et al. Intraarticular pressure, elastance and range of motion in healthy and injured racehorse metacarpophal- angealjoints. Equine VetJ 1998; 30: 520-527.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Degueurce C, Pourcelot P, Audigie F. et al. Variability of the limbjoint patterns of sound horses at trot. Equine Vet J 1997; S23: 89-92.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Most E, Axe J, Rubash H, Li G. Sensitivity of the knee joint minematics calculation to selection of flexion axes. J Biomech 2004; 37: 1743-1748.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Cantley CE, Firth EC, Delahunt JW. et al. Naturally occurring osteoarthritis in the metacarpophalangeal joints ofwildhorses. Equine VetJ 1999; 31: 73-81.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 33 Keegan KG, Wilson DA, Smith BK. et al. Changes in kinematic variables observed during pressure- induced forelimb lameness in adult horses trotting on atreadmill. Am JVet Res 2000; 61: 612-619.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Parkin TD, Clegg PD, French NP. et al. Risk factors for fatal lateral condylar fracture of the third metacarpus/metatarsus in UK racing. Equine Vet J 2005; 37: 192-199.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 Zekas LJ, Bramlage LR, Embertson RM. et al. Characterisation of the type and location of fractures of the third metacarpal/metatarsal condyles in 135 horses in central Kentucky (1986-1994). Equine VetJ 1999; 31: 304-308.
    PubMedGoogle Scholar