Modifications of a force plate system for equine gait analysis

Area of Science:

• Equine biomechanics
• Instrumental analysis
• Veterinary orthopedics

Background:

• Accurate measurement of ground reaction forces is crucial for understanding equine locomotion and diagnosing lameness.
• Existing force plate systems may have limitations in durability and sensitivity for equine applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To modify and improve a force plate system for measuring the vertical ground reaction forces of horse limbs.
• To enhance the durability and sensitivity of the force plate system for more reliable data collection.

Main Methods:

• Modification of a force plate system using steel supporting posts for enhanced durability.
• Incorporation of additional strain gauges in the Wheatstone bridge for increased sensitivity and temperature compensation.
• Collection of force plate data from clinically normal horses to validate system performance.

Main Results:

• The modified force plate system demonstrated improved durability due to steel supporting posts.
• Increased sensitivity and better temperature compensation were achieved through the addition of strain gauges.
• The system successfully captured vertical ground reaction forces in normal horses, indicating reliable performance.

Conclusions:

• The enhanced force plate system offers improved durability and sensitivity for measuring equine limb impact forces.
• The modifications provide a more robust and accurate tool for research in equine biomechanics and lameness evaluation.
• The system's performance with normal horses validates its utility for clinical and research applications in veterinary science.