Research Article: Client-specific outcome measure for chronic osteoarthritis pain assessment in horses
Abstract:
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent cause of chronic pain and lameness in horses. Whereas lameness can be quantified using objective measures, the assessment of OA-associated pain remains challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of the Client-Specific Outcome Measure (CSOM), a tool widely used in small animals, for the assessment of chronic OA pain in horses through caretaker evaluation.
Seventeen privately owned horses with confirmed OA were enrolled in a 20-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. For each horse, three individual pain-related indicators (CSOM items) were identified through a veterinarian–caretaker consultation. The selected items were regularly scored (0–4), and the scores were summed to obtain a total CSOM score (CSOM-sum). The CSOM-sum was compared with other pain assessment measures, including a caretaker-assigned visual analogue scale (VAS-own), a veterinarian-assigned visual analogue scale (VAS-exp), subjective lameness scores, and a gait asymmetry index.
The CSOM-sum showed moderate but significant correlations with all other pain and lameness measures ( r? =?0.49–0.60, p <?0.05). In particular, CSOM-sum correlated with gait asymmetry (r??=?0.434, p <?0.0001); subgroup analysis revealed a moderate correlation in treated horses ( r? =?0.4539, p =?0.0025) and a higher correlation in controls ( r? =?0.5536, p =?0.0006). The VAS-own and VAS-exp scores showed good overall agreement (bias?=??4.76?mm; ICC?=?0.727; ICC_T?=?0.625; ICC_C?=?0.838), although with relatively wide limits of agreement. The internal consistency of the CSOM items was high (Cronbach’s ? =?0.81 overall; ?_T?=?0.787; ?_C?=?0.890).
These findings indicate that, provided relevant items are carefully identified, the CSOM may represent a valuable complementary tool for assessing and monitoring pain severity in horses under field conditions.
Introduction:
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent cause of chronic pain and lameness in horses. Whereas lameness can be quantified using objective measures, the assessment of OA-associated pain remains challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of the Client-Specific Outcome Measure (CSOM), a tool widely used in small animals, for the assessment of chronic OA pain in horses through caretaker evaluation.
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