Hindlimb response to tactile stimulation of the pastern and coronet

Abstract

The effects of tactile stimulation of the hind pasterns on joint motion and muscle activation may be used in physiotherapy and rehabilitation to restore or increase flexion of the hindlimb joints with the exception of the hip joint. The ability to stimulate concentric activity of the tarsal musculature may have therapeutic applications in conditions such as toe dragging.

Swing phase kinematic and kinetic response to weighting the hind pasterns

“…2008). Clayton et al . (2010) showed that a lightweight (55 g) device attached loosely around the pastern stimulated a reflex increase in tarsal muscle activity resulting in increased swing phase flexions of the stifle, tarsal, MTP and DIP joints.…”

“…The equine pastern appears to be particularly sensitive to tactile stimulation (Haussler et al 2007) with the palmar/plantar aspect having the lowest nociceptive threshold (Haussler et al 2008). Clayton et al (2010) showed that a lightweight (55 g) device attached loosely around the pastern stimulated a reflex increase in tarsal muscle activity resulting in increased swing phase flexions of the stifle, tarsal, MTP and DIP joints. The muscular response to tactile stimulation of the distal limb is phase dependent (Gauthier and Rossignol 1978;Rossignol et al 1981).…”

“…2008) has shown that lightweight (55 g) tactile stimulators attached loosely around the hind pasterns induced an exaggerated swing phase response resulting in elevation of the flight arc of the hoof as a consequence of increased joint flexions. There was an initial 3‐fold increase in height of the flight arc of the hind hoof that decreased over time as the horses partially habituated to the presence of the stimulators, although a significant elevation was still present after trotting a distance of 300 m. Elevation of the flight arc of the hind hoof was due to a combination of increased flexions of the stifle, tarsal, metatarsophalangeal (MTP) and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints but without any change in flexion at the hip joint (Clayton et al . 2010).…”

“…Inverse dynamic analysis indicated that the increased joint flexions were achieved by more powerful concentric contractions of the tarsal musculature while activity in the hip musculature did not change. Increased negative work indicative of eccentric muscular activity was stimulated at the stifle, MTP and DIP joints to control the movements of those joints (Clayton et al . 2010).…”

Applied Myo-Fascial Advances in Veterinary Medicine and Practice.

“…Of interest in recent years has been the role of proprioception, that is to say the sense of the relative position of one´s own body parts and the physical effort used at rest and during movement (Lephart et al 1997). A study performed a few years ago by Clayton and colleagues revealed a new form of therapeutic treatment (proprioception) intended to activate the hind limbs of horses to a greater extent, thereby removing any imbalance during the engagement of these limbs (Clayton et al 2010). Using both proprioception and the new analytical tool of acoustic myography, it was very recently shown that not only could proprioception be used to correct slight muscular imbalances in equine hind limbs, confirming the earlier work of Clayton and colleagues (2010), but that this form of treatment could be illustrated and quantified .…”