The spine of the athlete horse: Review

Abstract

Backpain attacks most athletes, including horses, that being so, important causes of lameness and performance drop in these animals. However, locating the origin of these changes and quantify the intensity of pain isn’t an easy task, since only physical examination of these athletes isn’t enough to find the focus of the injury. The effectiveness and speed in diagnosis of spinal disorders reduce the economic impact that these changes can bring, since the treatment requires great investment. Among the main backpains, it can be discarded the supraspinatus ligament and the contact or overlap of spinous processes, also known as kissing spine. The definitive diagnosis of theses pathologies is only achieved through these complementary examinations, like radiography and ultrasound. This study aims to review anatomy and biomechanics, as well as the main changes in the equine spine and its complementary diagnostic methods, in order to clarify the importance of these diagnostic tools in equine medicine.