Evaluation of the skeletal musculature of the locomotor system of horses, with lameness, in the pre and postoperative periods

Abstract

The postoperative period presents a series of potential complications, such as myopathies, which are responsible for a significant portion of the morbidity and or mortality rate in horses. In cases of post-anesthetic myopathies, which may have as aggravating the presence of lesions prior to the anesthetic act and the decubitus position, there is an increase in the serum concentrations of the enzymes that mark muscle damage, the main ones being creatinokinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), in addition to the muscle changes present on physical or image examination.This work aims to analyze the influence of lameness prior to anesthetic and surgical procedures on the skeletal musculature of the locomotor system of horses, through thermographic examinations, muscle palpation and monitoring of serum concentrations of CK, AST and GGT enzymes. As a control group, will be used horses with no lameness at a walk (grades 0 to 2 out of 5), which will undergo a surgical procedure of the locomotor system at the Large Animal Surgery Service of the veterinary hospital of FMVZ-USP. As a test group, horses with grades 3 to 5 of lameness will be used, which will also be submitted to a surgical procedure of the locomotor system in the same place and by the same team, with the same anesthetic protocol and positioning on the operating table. Both groups will be evaluated over time, at five different times.Biochemical analysis, thermography and muscle palpation will be performed during hospitalization, immediate pre-anesthetic and 6, 24 and 48 hours after recovery from anesthetic. Finally, the results of the analyzed variables will be verified, through statistical analysis, and presented through descriptive tables.