RACING-RELATED FACTORS AND RESULTS OF PRERACE PHYSICAL INSPECTION ANDTHEIR ASSOCIATION WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES INCURRED IN THOROUGHBREDS DURING RACES

Objective-To describe and compare data from Thoroughbreds that sustain ed musculoskeletal injuries while racing with data from matched contro l horses. Design-Matched case-control study. Animals-216 Thoroughbreds that sustained a musculoskeletal injury while racing and 532 horses f rom the same races that were not injured. Procedure-Data regarding rac ing history, race-entrant characteristics, racing events determined by analysis of videotapes of races, and results of prerace physical insp ections were determined for all horses. Injured horses were compared w ith control horses by using conditional logistic regression. Results-R esults of prerace inspection by regulatory veterinarians were signific antly associated with injury. Odds of musculoskeletal injury, injury o f the suspensory apparatus of the forelimb, and injury of the tendon o f the superficial digital flexor muscle of the forelimb were 5.5 to 13 .5 times greater among horses assessed to be at increased risk of inju ry by regulatory veterinarians on the basis of results of prerace insp ection than for horses not considered to be at increased risk of injur y. Odds of an abnormal finding in the suspensory ligament during prera ce inspection were 3.4 times greater among horses that injured the sus pensory apparatus than among control horses, and odds of an abnormal f inding in the tendon of the superficial digital flexor muscle during p rerace inspection were 15 times greater among horses that injured the tendon than among control horses. Clinical Implications-Regulatory vet erinarians can identify horses during prerace physical inspection that have an increased risk of injury during races. Prerace physical inspe ctions could be used to reduce the risk of injury to Thoroughbreds dur ing races.