Authors:

Emily Elizabeth Rastovski

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About Paper:

Equine laminitis is a condition that causes extreme pain, suffering, and can result in euthanasia of horses on humane grounds. Failure of the laminar junction, which connects the hoof wall to the distal phalanx, is the mechanism responsible for clinical manifestation of laminitis. However, there is limited data published comparing healthy and laminitic mechanical strength. Samples of laminae collected from euthanized horses can be mechanically tested in vitro using a materials testing system that measures maximum load supported by the laminae. Furthermore, the effects of storage conditions on the strength of lamina samples are unknown. This study includes two aims: 1) to determine if different storage conditions affect mechanical testing results and 2) to determine differences in load-bearing properties between healthy and laminitic tissue. We hypothesized that 1) there would be no difference in mechanical testing results among refrigerated, incubated, or frozen tissue and 2) laminar strength would be lower in laminitic tissue compared to healthy tissue. Here, we first examined the differences in laminar tensile strength over time in differing storage conditions. Then, differences in laminar strength between healthy and laminitic tissue were investigated. In the first phase of this study, hoof samples were collected after euthanasia and divided between refrigerator, incubator, and freezer storage (all within 2 hours post-mortem). Refrigerated and incubated samples were randomly chosen to be tested at n=8 time points over 72 hours following time of death. Freezer samples were thawed at room temperature for 6 hours, then tested at n=8 time points over the next 72 hours post-thaw. Mechanical testing involved incising samples to fit within a jig, which was placed onto the materials testing apparatus. Once testing began, the machine pulled the sample apart vertically at a rate of about 1mm/second until it reached a set displacement endpoint. Measurements of maximum force sustained by laminae over the testing period were recorded. Results from this study will provide a foundation for future research investigating laminitis in horses. Keywords: Laminitis; Mechanical Testing † Presenting Undergrad Author; ‡ Contributing Undergrad Author; * Undergrad Acknowledgment

Source:

Purdue University / 2025

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Co-authors:

Emily Elizabeth Rastovski