Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Musculoskeletal and Neuromuscular Control Abnormalities in Horses - Selected Case Studies.

When diagnosing neuromuscular injury and pain, the use of biomechanical evaluations to assess the mechanics of movement patterns has been useful in the human population. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a technology that can create action potentials to produce musculoskeletal movement that is almost indistinguishable from the voluntary kinematics produced by the nervous system. To create controlled and precise musculoskeletal movements in humans and in horses, FES has been shown to be effective. In humans, the kinematic information obtained from FES data has been utilized to direct further diagnostics, and/or to assist in the development of specific treatment protocols. In addition, since FES creates dynamic movement while in a static position, the ability to isolate the regions of dysfunction improves without the confounding factors of over-the-ground movement and other artifacts caused by environmental stimuli. This paper explores the transfer of the use of FES in human diagnostics to clinical use in horses. Three equine case studies discuss how FES was employed as a tool in the diagnosis and treatment of equine musculoskeletal and neuromuscular control disorders.