Review article
Equine Thoracolumbar and Sacroiliac Pain: An Overview of Common Pathological Conditions
Aleksandra Semper
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
*
Nika Brkljača Bottegaro
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Back pain in horses is a common cause of reduced athletic performance and represents a significant diagnostic challenge due to the complex anatomy of the thoracolumbar and sacroiliac regions and the frequent presence of multiple concurrent pathological conditions. The most common conditions include overriding dorsal spinous processes, ventral spondylosis, facet joint osteoarthritis, supraspinous ligament desmitis, and pathological conditions of the sacroiliac joint and intervertebral discs of the lumbosacral region. In the medical history, owners most commonly report poor performance, behavioural changes during work, reluctance during saddling or riding, back stiffness, and difficulties performing certain movements such as trunk flexion or transitions between gaits. Clinical examination is based on inspection, palpation, assessment of spinal mobility, and analysis of movement, while imaging modalities, particularly ultrasonography and radiography, play a key role in evaluating soft tissue and osseous structures. Scintigraphy is an
important method for localising active bone remodeling, while computed tomography provides a detailed insight into complex osseous changes. The therapeutic approach is most often conservative and includes pharmacological treatment and physical therapy, whereas surgical methods are applied in selected cases of pathological changes of the dorsal spinous processes. The aim of this study was to present current knowledge on the clinical examination, diagnostic procedures, and therapeutic options for the most common pathological back conditions in horses.
Keywords
back pain; horse; thoracolumbar region; sacroiliac region; poor performance
Hrčak ID:
353264
URI
Publication date:
1.10.2026.
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