The role of electromyography in clinical diagnosis of neuromuscular locomotor problems in the horse.
BACKGROUND
Systematically performed EMG needle examination of muscles provides essential information about the functional aspects of the motor unit. However, clinical studies in which information is given on the diagnostic and discriminative values of electromyography (EMG) in the horse are scarce.


OBJECTIVE
To determine to what extent inclusion of EMG analysis in clinical examination contributes to determination of type and localisation of abnormality.


METHODS
EMG analysis, complete clinical examination and diagnosis of 108 horses (mean +/- s.d. age 75 +/- 3.8 years; bodyweight 548 +/- 86 kg; height 1.67 +/- 0.07 m) were performed, and results without and with EMG analysis compared.


RESULTS
Without EMG, myopathy and neuropathy were diagnosed in 20 and 58 horses, respectively, and with EMG in 17 and 82 horses. EMG changed localisation in myopathy and neuropathy in 12 and 37% of cases, respectively. Lesions in the C1-T2, T2-L3 and L3-S3 segments were, respectively, diagnosed without EMG in 7, 11 and 30%, and with EMG in 27, 7 and 17% of cases. Where no clinical diagnosis could be made prior to EMG, many patients appeared to be suffering from localised cervical lesions (29%) or generalised neuropathy (54%).


CONCLUSIONS
The assistance of EMG in discriminating between normal, neuropathy and myopathy, and in locating pathology, contributes to diagnosis of neuromuscular problems.
Wijnberg
I D
ID
Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 12-16, 3584 TD, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Back
W
W
de Jong
M
M
Zuidhof
M C
MC
van den Belt
A J M
AJ
van der Kolk
J H
JH
D000818:Animals; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006736:Horses; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity