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Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 2017; 30(04): 1-8
DOI: 10.3415/VCOT-16-06-0095
Original Research
Schattauer GmbH

Three-dimensional kinematics of the equine metacarpophalangeal joint using x-ray reconstruction of moving morphology – a pilot study

Bronwen A. Childs
1   Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA
,
Brenna R. Pugliese
1   Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA
,
Cristina T. Carballo
1   Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA
,
Daniel L. Miranda
2   Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
,
Elizabeth L. Brainerd
3   Functional Morphology & Biomechanics Laboratory, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
,
Carl A. Kirker-Head
1   Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA
› Author AffiliationsFunding for this study included a National Institute of Health Training Grant (T32 RR018267) awarded to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, a Training Grant from U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command (W81XWH-06-1-640) awarded to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, and funding received from Horsepower Technologies Inc., in Lowell, MA, USA.
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 22 June 2016

Accepted: 07 March 2017

Publication Date:
23 December 2017 (online)

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Summary

X-ray reconstruction of moving morphology (XROMM) uses biplanar videoradiography and computed tomography (CT) scanning to capture three-dimensional (3D) bone motion. In XROMM, morphologically accurate 3D bone models derived from CT are animated with motion from videoradiography, yielding a highly accurate and precise reconstruction of skeletal kinematics. We employ this motion analysis technique to characterize metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ) motion in the absence and presence of protective legwear in a healthy pony. Our in vivo marker tracking precision was 0.09 mm for walk and trot, and 0.10 mm during jump down exercises. We report MCPJ maximum extension (walk: –27.70 ± 2.78° [standard deviation]; trot: –33.84 ± 4.94°), abduction/adduction (walk: 0.04 ± 0.24°; trot: –0.23 ± 0.35°) and external/internal rotations (walk: 0.30 ± 0.32°; trot: –0.49 ± 1.05°) indicating that the MCPJ in this pony is a stable hinge joint with negligible extra-sagittal rotations. No substantial change in MCPJ maximum extension angles or vertical ground reaction forces (GRFv) were observed upon application of legwear during jump down exercise. Neoprene boot application yielded –65.20 ± 2.06° extension (GRFv = 11.97 ± 0.67 N/kg) and fleece polo wrap application yielded –64.23 ± 1.68° extension (GRFv = 11.36 ± 1.66 N/kg), when compared to naked control (-66.11 ± 0.96°; GRFv = 12.02 ± 0.53 N/kg). Collectively, this proof of concept study illustrates the benefits and practical limitations of using XROMM to document equine MCPJ kinematics in the presence and absence of legwear.

Supplementary Material to this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.3415/VCOT-16-06-0095.

Keywords

Advanced imaging techniques - joint motion - equine athletes - new technologies - motion analysis
 

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