The Detection of Thoracolumbar Spine Injuries in Horses with Chronic Laminitis Using a Novel Clinical-Assessment Protocol and Ultrasonographic Examination

Postural adaptation is a prominent feature in horses affected by laminitis. Laminitis induces intense pain, especially in the forelimbs, prompting affected horses to assume a caudally displaced trunk posture, resulting in the hyperflexion of the thoracolumbar spine. This study assessed the nature and prevalence of thoracolumbar injuries in horses with chronic laminitis compared to horses without it. Sixty horses were used (thirty laminitic and thirty non-laminitic) of different athletic purposes and ages (2–20 years). The experimental protocol entailed a single assessment of horses’ thoracolumbar spines, utilizing physical examination by MACCTORE, a scoring system developed specifically for this study. Additional evaluations included the Grimace Equine Pain Scale (HGS) and ultrasound exams. Statistical tests were used to compare values (Mann–Whitney or t-test) and lesions prevalences (Fisher) between groups (p < 0.05). The results showed a higher pain manifestation (HGS and heart rate, p < 0.0001) and thoracolumbar-spine-injury levels in chronic laminitis horses, both in MACCTORE clinical examinations (11.7 ± 4.8 vs. 4.2 ± 3.3, p < 0.0001) and general ultrasonographic indices (39.6 ± 12.0 vs. 20.7 ± 7.1, p < 0.0001), including specific examination approaches for various spinal elements. Horses with laminitis presented with a 14-fold higher prevalence of ultrasound-relevant lesions in the thoracolumbar spine (CI: 4.4 to 50.6, p < 0.0001) compared to controls. These findings constitute new evidence of an association between chronic laminitis and the presence of thoracolumbar spine injuries in horses, which may be confirmed by more sophisticated study designs.