Visual lameness assessment in comparison to quantitative gait analysis data in horses.
Aagje M HardemanAgneta EgenvallFilipe Manuel Serra BragancaJan-Hein SwagemakersMarc H W KoeneLars RoepstorffPaul René van WeerenAnna ByströmPublished in: Equine veterinary journal (2022)
Overall, between- and within-veterinarian agreement on lame limb was 'good', whereas agreement on lameness grade was 'acceptable' to 'poor'. Quantitative data and subjective assessments correlated well, with minor though significant differences in the number of millimetres, equivalent to one lameness grade between veterinarians, and between assessment conditions. Differences between baseline assessment vs assessment following diagnostic analgesia suggest that addition of objective data can be beneficial to reduce expectation bias. The small differences between live and video assessments support the use of high-quality videos for documentation, communication, and education, thus, complementing objective gait analysis data.