Musculoskeletal problems are one of the main reasons sport horses lose training time, underperform, or retire early. 
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The latest Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) Special Focus, edited by Maarten Oosterlinck and Rhiannon Morgan with guest editors Kyla Ortved and Hilary Clayton, gathers 21 studies from leading researchers to explore causes, diagnostic advances, and treatments for these conditions. The section is divided into three themes: aetiology, diagnostics, and therapeutics. There is also a podcast summarising the work.
Understanding Causes and Risk Factors
Osteochondrosis (OC), the most common developmental orthopaedic disease in horses, is linked to vascular failure in growing cartilage. Olstad summarises over a decade of research showing how this process can lead to different OC presentations, including osteochondritis dissecans.
In eventing, Cameron-Whytock et al. report that 36% of equine fatalities over 25 years were due to musculoskeletal injuries, mostly during cross-country. Lameness patterns in Australian campdraft horses, studied by Argue and Labens, showed 53% forelimb and 41% hindlimb involvement.
Spinal health is another focus. Spoormakers et al. found Warmbloods had higher rates of thoracic vertebral lesions (including osteoarthritis and kissing spines) than smaller breeds. Patricio et al. note that early detection and targeted rehabilitation for spinal articular dysfunction can extend performance careers.
Suspensory ligament (SL) injury remains a common problem, and Guest et al. review its anatomy, function, and variable treatment outcomes.
Advances in Diagnostics
Taddey et al. used inertial measurement units (IMUs) to quantify head and withers movement asymmetry, showing that even sound horses aren’t perfectly symmetrical.
Hansen et al. describe a new chronic myopathy in Icelandic horses causing poor performance and multi-limb lameness. For osteoarthritis (OA), Anderson et al. used metabolomic and proteomic profiling of synovial fluid to identify potential early diagnostic markers.
CT technology is expanding: Ogden et al. detail imaging the proximal limb and spine, while Hellige et al. explore CT myelography for detecting spinal cord compression. New standing CT techniques allow hoof imaging (Szabó et al.) and comparison with MRI for distal limb evaluation (Nagy et al.). MRI studies also include DDFT injuries (Scharf et al.) and proximal interphalangeal joint ligaments (Peeters et al.), as well as comparing MRI and radiography for hoof measurements (Bowkett-Pritchard et al.).
Treatment Innovations
Seery et al. assess how trimming affects hoof balance and load distribution, with implications for injury prevention. For SDFT tendinopathy, Blatter et al. report outcomes of tenoscopic desmotomy in Warmbloods. In back surgery, Connaughton et al. compare caudal and cranial wedge ostectomy for treating kissing spines.
Regenerative therapies are also advancing: Munevar Luque et al. test equine umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells combined with hyaluronic acid, showing promising results compared to HA alone.
“This special focus brings together the latest science and knowledge on multiple aspects of the diagnosis and treatment of Musculoskeletal disorders in sport horses” said Maarten Oosterlinck, deputy editor of the EVJ. “The practical, evidence-based studies present imperative reading for veterinary practitioners, to support their goal of providing the most advanced diagnostics and therapeutic approaches for sport horses with musculoskeletal issues.”
The EVJ special focus issue on Musculoskeletal disorders in Sport horses can be found here:
https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/20423306/2025/57/5
The podcast in which the editors discuss the issue can be found here:
