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Diagnosing Lameness
 What is lameness?
An abnormality of gait that is caused by pain and / or restriction of movement.
The most common causes of lameness
The basic processes that cause disease can be remembered by using the acronym DAMNIT:
D: degenerative, developmental
A: allergic, autoimmune
M: metabolic, mechanical
N: neoplastic (tumors), nutritional
I: infectious, inflammatory, immune-mediated, ischemic (low blood flow), iatrogenic (man-made), idiopathic (unknown)
T: traumatic, toxic
| Most causes of lameness fall into the following categories: |
- Degenerative e.g. degenerative joint disease (DJD, or osteoarthritis)
- Developmental e.g. osteochondrosis (OCD), physitis (epiphysitis)
- Metabolic e.g. laminitis (founder), exertional rhabdomyolysis (tying up)
- Mechanical i.e. overload of a structure - either sudden, massive overload or repeated, marginal overload (wear & tear)
- Iinfectious e.g. foot abscess, infected wound, cellulitis, joint infection
- Inflammatory - most of the specific causes of lameness have an inflammatory component
- Traumatic i.e. injury (external trauma)
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Identifying the location of the problem
| Observation is the key to identifying which is the lame leg: |
- Abnormal
 stance-e.g. pointing the toe, resting one leg more than another, dropped fetlock
- Abnormal movement-head nod (forelimb lameness), hip hike (hind limb lameness)
- Reduced arc of foot flight-often seen as stiffness or reluctance to flex the limb normally
- Shortened stride length-shortened 'swing' phase of the stride
- Abnormal foot placement-e.g. landing toe-first to spare the heel
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| Evaluate the horse's gait: |
- On a level, even surface
- In a walk or a trot
- In a straight line and in a circle (led, lunged, or in a round pen)
- make sure the horse is on a loose lead or lunge line
- watch the horse in both directions on the circle
- From the side, in front, and the rear
- On different surfaces (e.g. hard and soft)
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Bear in mind that there may be a problem in more than one leg.
Investigating the cause: Basic Skills
Locating the specific area involved requires two basic tools: your eyes and your hands.
The three skills required are Observation, Palpation, and Manipulation.
Observation: |
- Look for symmetry between left and right legs, and between the inside and outside of a normally symmetrical structure
- When asymmetry is found, is it caused by enlargement (e.g. swelling) or reduction in tissue mass?
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Palpation: |
- Feel for heat, swelling, pain, and changes in tone or texture of a tissue
- Characterize any swellings as hard, firm, soft, fluid-filled
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Manipulation: |
- Move the structure or tissue through its normal range of motion
- Check for pain, altered range of motion (increase or decrease), and crepitus (a grating, grinding, or crackling sensation)
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This page is only to provide information. If you are unsure of any information on this page please contact you’re vet for an accurate diagnosis
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