Flexion test
Encyclopedia
A flexion test is a veterinary procedure performed on a horse, generally during a prepurchase
or a lameness
exam. The animal's leg is held in a flexed position for 30 seconds to up to 3 minutes (although most veterinarians do not go longer than a minute), and then the horse is immediately trotted off and its gait is analyzed for abnormalities and uneveness. The flexion places stress on the joint capsule and soft tissue of the joint, and sometimes the cartilage and bone, usually accentuating any lameness that is present, such as arthritis. The horse may take a few uneven steps, or may be lame for several minutes following the procedure.
False positives may occur, however, especially if excessive force was placed on the joint, and many horses can continue to perform their jobs quite well despite having "failed" a flexion test. It is therefore important for owners to continue to perform diagnostics if they suspects there is a problem. Additionally, a vet may flex both fore or hindlimbs separately for comparison, to determine which limb is experiencing an unknown lameness, or if the few uneven steps are "normal" for the horse.
Flexion tests are rather nonspecific, as each test flexes multiple joints (such as the stifle
and the hock
, or the pastern
and the navicular area). So while they can help localize a lameness issue to one particular leg, or even to a few joints in the leg, they can not pinpoint it. In lameness exams, the next step is usually to perform nerve blocks.
Equine prepurchase exam
When buying a horse, many buyers ask for an equine prepurchase exam. This serves to identify any preexisting problems which may hinder a horse’s future performance and reduce buyer risk...
or a lameness
Lameness (equine)
Lameness in horses and other equidae is a term used to refer to any number of conditions where the animal fails to travel in a regular and sound manner on all four feet...
exam. The animal's leg is held in a flexed position for 30 seconds to up to 3 minutes (although most veterinarians do not go longer than a minute), and then the horse is immediately trotted off and its gait is analyzed for abnormalities and uneveness. The flexion places stress on the joint capsule and soft tissue of the joint, and sometimes the cartilage and bone, usually accentuating any lameness that is present, such as arthritis. The horse may take a few uneven steps, or may be lame for several minutes following the procedure.
False positives may occur, however, especially if excessive force was placed on the joint, and many horses can continue to perform their jobs quite well despite having "failed" a flexion test. It is therefore important for owners to continue to perform diagnostics if they suspects there is a problem. Additionally, a vet may flex both fore or hindlimbs separately for comparison, to determine which limb is experiencing an unknown lameness, or if the few uneven steps are "normal" for the horse.
Flexion tests are rather nonspecific, as each test flexes multiple joints (such as the stifle
Stifle joint
The stifle joint is a complex joint in the hind limbs of quadruped mammals such as the sheep, horse or dog. It is the equivalent joint to the human knee...
and the hock
Hock
The word hock may mean:* Hock , a type of wine* Hock , part of an animal's leg* Ham hock, a meat joint from the lower leg of a pig* To leave an item with a pawnbroker* Hans Henrich Hock, German historical linguist...
, or the pastern
Pastern
The pastern is a part of the leg of a horse between the fetlock and the top of the hoof. It incorporates the long pastern bone and the short pastern bone , which are held together by two sets of paired ligaments to form the pastern joint...
and the navicular area). So while they can help localize a lameness issue to one particular leg, or even to a few joints in the leg, they can not pinpoint it. In lameness exams, the next step is usually to perform nerve blocks.