Background: Global technological advancements have shifted equine lameness diagnostics from purely subjective assessment toward more objective, quantitative methods. Traditional gait evaluations are increasingly being supplemented by innovative technologies to enhance diagnostic accuracy.
Aim: This study aimed to determine if traditional gait assessment could be effectively complemented by quantitative measurements using an affordable, self-constructed device, the Lameness Detector 0.
Objective gait analysis provides valuable information about the locomotion characteristics of sound and lame horses. Due to their high accuracy and sensitivity, inertial measurement units (IMUs) have gained popularity over objective measurement techniques such as force plates and optical motion capture (OMC) systems. IMUs are wearable sensors that measure acceleration forces and angular velocities, providing the possibility of a non-invasive and continuous monitoring of horse gait during walk, trot, or canter during field conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBoth as an aid for less experienced clinicians and to enhance objectivity and sharp clinical skills in professionals, quantitative technologies currently bring the equine lameness diagnostic closer to evidence-based veterinary medicine. The present paper describes an original, inertial sensor-based wireless device system, the Lameness Detector 0.1, used in ten horses with different lameness degrees in one fore- or hind-leg.
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