Formulating a Treatment Plan: Based on Leverage Testing Evaluation

Diagnosing and treating lower limb lameness in horses has improved significantly over the last 15 years. The advancement in diagnostic equipment provides clear images of both hard and soft tissue. Digital radiographs, ultrasonograms and MRI technology are the tools commonly used in diagnosing lameness causes and physiological changes or anomalies. However, treatment prescriptions for these lameness issues can vary considerably from one practitioner to another. The inconsistency in the prescriptions and, therefore, the results of treatment may largely be due to the fact that the above mentioned diagnostic equipment cannot measure or quantify pain. Therefore, diagnostic nerve blocks are commonly used to locate the region of pain. Nevertheless, the quantity of pain and the exact location within the joint or capsule is not always clear and treatment success therefore varies.

The procedures for diagnosing lameness can be very time consuming and can therefore be expensive. In some case, one can only speculate as to the exact structures that may be affecting the current condition. There is usually no way of knowing if physiological changes or anomalies seen through the various diagnostic results are the actual cause of the current lameness or are nonpainful chronic lesions. It can be difficult to prescribe treatment for a lameness that is assumed in a general area with no assurance that the clinical findings are in fact acute or chronic at the time of the examination. [...]