CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF RISK-FACTORS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LAMINITIS IN THE CONTRALATERAL LIMB IN EQUIDAE WITH UNILATERAL LAMENESS

Objective-To identify risk factors associated with development of lami nitis of the supporting limb in Equidae with unilateral laminitis and to determine the radiographic appearance of this type of laminitis. De sign-Retrospective analysis of medical records. Animals-20 Equidae wit h unilateral lameness that developed laminitis of the contralateral li mb. Procedure-Case animals were compared with matched and unmatched po pulations of control animals that did not develop contralateral limb l aminitis. Lateromedial radiographic projections of affected feet were evaluated for evidence of laminitis. Results-Body weight of case anima ls was not significantly different from that of control animals, but n umber of days that control animals were lame prior to recovery was sig nificantly less than number of days that case animals were lame prior to the onset of laminitis. Lateromedial radiographic projections of th e foot of the support limb were available for 16 of the 20 case animal s. For ail 16. thickness of the soft tissue dorsal to the distal phala nx was > 29% of the palmar cortical length of the distal phalanx, but only 1 had evidence of rotation of the distal phalanx. The proportion of case animals that were euthanatized was significantly greater than the proportion of control animals that were euthanatized. Clinical Imp lications-Duration of lameness, but not body weight, was a risk factor for development of laminitis in the contralateral limb in Equidae wit h unilateral lameness, and animals that developed this complication we re more likely to be euthanatized than were animals that did not.