KINEMATIC SYMMETRY INDEX - A METHOD FOR QUANTIFYING THE HORSE LOCOMOTION SYMMETRY USING KINEMATIC DATA

This study was conducted to evaluate a method for quantifying locomoti on symmetry at trot in sound and lame horses. Using a 3D kinematic ana lysis system, the kinematics of the limb joints of sound and lame hors es were recorded. The differences in motion between the left and right homologous joints were then quantified using a symmetry index based o n an inter-correlation method. This method was used to calculate the s ymmetry indices of the vertical displacements and angle-time diagrams of the joints of each horse. In order to evaluate the sensitivity of t his method of quantifying the locomotion symmetry, the symmetry indice s of horses suffering from the three main types of lameness (forelimb, hind limb and bilateral lamenesses) were compared with those calculat ed for a reference group of clinically sound horses. The symmetry indi ces calculated using this method were sensitive enough to distinguish different degrees of lameness. Except for symmetrical bilateral lame n ess, the indices obtained also allowed us to determine which of the fo re or hind limbs were lame. The results of this study make it possible to consider potential applications of this method in research and cli nical fields.