Risk factors for superficial digital flexor tendinopathy in Thoroughbred racehorses in steeplechase starts in the United Kingdom (2001–2009)
Introduction
Tendon injuries are common in Thoroughbred racehorses (Thorpe et al., 2010), with the superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendon being the most commonly injured (Marr et al., 1993, Williams et al., 2001, Ely et al., 2004, Ely et al., 2009, Pinchbeck et al., 2004, Takahashi et al., 2004, Lam et al., 2007a, Avella et al., 2009). Whilst multiple studies have investigated risk factors for SDF tendinopathy (Mohammed et al., 1991, Mohammed et al., 1992, Cohen et al., 1997, Takahashi et al., 2004, Perkins et al., 2005a, Lam et al., 2007b, Reardon et al., 2012), the studies performed in the United Kingdom either were focussed on training related factors for relatively small cohorts of trainers and horses or were not focussed solely on steeplechase horses. Although steeplechase racing has been recognised as the racing discipline in which SDF tendinopathy occurs most frequently (Williams et al., 2001), no previous studies have looked specifically at the risks of sustaining the injury in this discipline.
In a previous study using similar methods (Reardon et al., 2012), multiple risk factors for SDF tendinopathy in hurdle racing were identified. Steeplechase racing is the other major form of jump racing in the UK and whereas this is also always on a turf surface, it involves larger jump obstacles and often longer race distances than hurdle racing. It is plausible, therefore, that different risk factors exist in this type of racing. The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors associated with steeplechase racing and to compare these with those identified in hurdle racing.
Section snippets
Materials and methods
Potential risk factors for SDF tendinopathy in steeplechase starts in the UK were assessed using a cohort study. In order to allow inclusion of horse, race and track as different levels in risk factor analysis, the study was conducted at the start level (a ‘start’ being a horse starting a race) and included 648 injuries sustained in 102,894 starts. Information from all horse injuries treated at the racecourses was available from between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2009 from the British
Results
The 102,894 study starts were represented in the study population by 15,117 horses, 1328 jockeys, 2343 trainers and 44 racecourses. The study starts occurred in 12,003 races at 4347 race meets and on 2438 race dates. Six hundred and forty-eight SDF tendinopathies were recorded in 626 horses. One hundred and thirty-one horses started in at least one steeplechase race subsequent to SDF tendinopathy, and 40 of these (31%) sustained another SDF tendinopathy and two (5%) sustained a third SDF
Discussion
This paper reports the results of the first study to identify risk factors for SDF tendinopathy specific to steeplechase races in the UK. The analysis benefits from access to a large cohort with a large number of injuries, but is limited by the reliance on diagnosis of SDF tendinopathy at the racecourse, which is likely to have resulted in under estimation of number of true cases. Along with this, the previous history of SDF tendinopathy is reliant on the horse having had the condition
Conclusions
Similar to the evaluation of risk factors in hurdle racing, it would appear from this study that firm ground, increased age and previous SDF tendinopathy injury are all risk factors for subsequent injury. The multiple risk factors identified provide information that can be used to help review current regulations and racecourse management techniques. Not all of the observed associations and differences between disciplines can be readily explained by the data currently available. As a result,
Conflict of interest statement
None of the authors of this paper has a financial or personal relationship with other people or organisations that could inappropriately influence or bias the content of the paper.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the staff at the British Horseracing Authority and Weatherbys Limited for assistance with data collection, and the Horserace Betting Levy Board for funding the research.
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