HOW TO DIAGNOSE POOR PERFORMANCE IN THE EQUINE ATHLETE 4. Discussion
Athletic horses that are evaluated for poor perfor- mance can be complex cases requiring a multifaceted approach to the diagnosis, especially to determine the types of structures involved and the severity of injuries. A surprising number of horses presenting for poor performance are found to have gait deficits, even when the owner or trainer has not reported these.2–5 This highlights the fact that many of these conditions are subtle and require diagnostic expertise and/or the use of sophisticated equipment to be identified. Furthermore, one study showed that 74% of horses with musculoskeletal abnormal- ities had disturbances involving two or more ana- tomical locations and 47% involved three or more anatomical locations.5 Their data suggest that in- adequate performance in the elite athlete in many cases may be due to the additive effect of musculo- skeletal injuries, which causes enough discomfort to result in limiting performance. It has also been shown that induced thoracic and pelvic limb lame- ness affects thoracolumbar kinematics,16,17 which over time can result in axial skeleton pain and/or dysfunction. One can imagine that these are chal- lenging cases to diagnose and find effective methods of treatment for. Frequently, through a careful and systematic approach, that includes utilizing exper- tise in the fields of lameness and neurology, the cause of the limitation can be discovered.
Acknowledgments
Declaration of Ethics The Author has adhered to the Principles of Vet- erinary Medical Ethics of the AVMA.
Conflict of Interest The Author has no conflicts of interest.
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