Elgersma A E, Wijnberg I D, Sleutjens J, van der Kolk J H, van Weeren P R, Back W
Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
Equine Vet J Suppl. 2010 Nov(38):436-43. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00228.x.
Head and neck positions (HNP) in sport horses are under debate in the equine community, as they could interfere with equine welfare. HNPs have not been quantified objectively and no information is available on their head and neck loading.
To quantify in vivo HNPs in sport horses and develop o a model to estimate loading on the cervical vertebrae in these positions.
Videos were taken of 7 Warmbloods at walk on a straight line in 5 positions, representing all HNPs during Warmblood training and competition. Markers were glued at 5 anatomical landmarks. Two-dimensional angles and distances were determined from video frames for the 5 HNPs and statistically compared (P < 0.05). A new simulation model was developed to estimate nuchal ligament cervical loading at these HNPs.
The mean angles were significantly different between the 5 HNPs for the line between C1 and T6 with the horizontal and for the line connecting the facial crest (CF) and C1 with the vertical, while the vertical distance from CF to the lateral styloid process of the radius (PS) was significantly different between all 5 positions (P < 0.05). The estimated nuchal ligament loading appeared to be largest at the origin of C2 for all HNPs, except for the 'hyperextended' HNP5; the 'hyperflexed' HNP4 showed the largest loading values on the nuchal ligament origins at all locations.
HNPs can be accurately quantified in the sagittal plane from angles and distances based on standard anatomical landmarks and home-video captured images. Nuchal ligament loading showed the largest estimated values at its origin on C2 in hyperflexion (HNP4).
Modelling opens further perspectives to eventually estimate loading for individual horses and thus ergonomically optimise their HNP, which may improve the welfare of the sport horse during training and competition.
运动马的头颈姿势（HNP）在马术界存在争议，因为它们可能会影响马匹的福利。HNP尚未得到客观量化，也没有关于其头颈负荷的信息。
量化运动马体内的HNP，并建立一个模型来估计这些姿势下颈椎的负荷。
对7匹温血马在直线上行走的5种姿势进行录像，这些姿势代表了温血马训练和比赛中的所有HNP。在5个解剖标志点粘贴标记。从视频帧中确定5种HNP的二维角度和距离，并进行统计学比较（P<0.05）。开发了一个新的模拟模型来估计这些HNP下项韧带的颈椎负荷。
对于C1和T6之间的连线与水平线，以及连接面部嵴（CF）和C1的连线与垂直线，5种HNP之间的平均角度存在显著差异，而CF到桡骨外侧茎突（PS）的垂直距离在所有5种姿势之间存在显著差异（P<0.05）。除“过度伸展”的HNP5外，所有HNP的项韧带负荷估计值在C2起点处似乎最大；“过度屈曲”的HNP4在所有位置的项韧带起点处显示出最大的负荷值。
基于标准解剖标志点和家庭录像捕获的图像，可通过角度和距离在矢状面准确量化HNP。项韧带负荷在过度屈曲（HNP4）时在C2起点处显示出最大的估计值。
建模为最终估计个体马匹的负荷开辟了进一步的前景，从而在人体工程学上优化其HNP，这可能会改善运动马在训练和比赛期间的福利。
