Concurrent measurement of serum and radiomic biomarkers in the clinical investigation of equine musculoskeletal injuries: A prospective pilot study

Peter Tually, Geoff Currie, Dominique Blache, Jack Meadows, Chloe Gray, Lisa Hemmings, Paul O'Callaghan, David Murphy

Background: Equine musculoskeletal injuries are common and costly in the horse industry. There is a need for better diagnostic and prognostic tools to improve the management and welfare of horses.

Study: The authors conducted a prospective pilot study to measure serum and radiomic biomarkers in horses with musculoskeletal injuries and compare them with healthy controls.

Methods: The authors enrolled 12 horses with various musculoskeletal injuries and 12 healthy horses. They collected blood samples and computed tomography (CT) scans from each horse. They analyzed the serum samples for biochemical markers of inflammation, cartilage degradation, and bone turnover. They also extracted radiomic features from the CT images using a machine learning algorithm.

Results: The authors found significant differences in serum and radiomic biomarkers between injured and healthy horses. They also identified correlations between some serum and radiomic biomarkers. They suggest that these biomarkers could be used to diagnose and monitor equine musculoskeletal injuries.

Limitations: The authors acknowledge that their study has some limitations, such as the small sample size, the heterogeneity of the injuries, and the lack of follow-up data. They recommend further studies with larger and more homogeneous cohorts and longitudinal designs.

Conclusions: The authors conclude that serum and radiomic biomarkers have potential to be useful tools for the clinical investigation of equine musculoskeletal injuries. They propose that combining these biomarkers could improve the accuracy and reliability of the diagnosis and prognosis of these injuries.