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DeniseMcSweeney.Thesis.07.24.25_J
Embargoed Access, Embargo ends: 10/08/2027
Thesis
FATAL MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURY RISK DETERMINED USING ACCELEROMETER-BASED INERTIAL MEASUREMENT UNIT (IMU) SENSORS IN 28,481 THOROUGHBRED RACE STARTS
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2025
Abstract
FATAL MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURY RISK DETERMINED USINGACCELEROMETER-BASED INERTIAL MEASUREMENT UNIT (IMU) SENSORS IN
28,481 THOROUGHBRED RACE STARTS
Objective: To determine whether screening of racing Thoroughbreds with accelerometer-
based inertial measurement unit sensors (IMU) and a specifically trained algorithm identified
high-risk horses for fatal musculoskeletal injury and whether age, gender, race distance, and
track surface were associated with increased risk.
Animals: 11,834 Thoroughbred racehorses.
Methods: Stride data from 28,481 races by 11,834 Thoroughbreds over 145 weeks were
assigned an algorithm-based risk score from 1-6. Logistic regression models examined the
association between incidence of fatal injuries and risk score, gender, age, race distance and
track surface. Tukey’s adjustment assessed differences across risk score groups, track
surfaces, and genders. P ≤ 0.05 was significant.
Results: 74 horses were fatally injured. 0.4% of starts received risk score =6 and 1/25 of these
horses suffered fatalities. 60% of fatally injured horses that wore the sensor 3 times were
identified as high-risk cases. The probability that a risk score =6 horse would suffer a fatal
injury was 44.6 times >risk score =1. Age was not associated with injury risk. Males were at
higher risk of fatal injury than females (P =0.029). Horses racing shorter distances were at
greater risk of injury. The fatal injury rate was higher on dirt (P =0.002) and turf (P =0.03)
than an all-weather track. Turf tended to be safer than dirt (P =0.06).
iii
Conclusion and Clinical Relevance: Horses receiving a risk score =5-6 were at substantially
higher risk of suffering a fatal musculoskeletal injury than other horses. Identifying highest-
injury-risk horses with IMU-derived data should facilitate interventions by veterinarians and
racing officials to reduce fatalities.
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Details
- Title
- FATAL MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURY RISK DETERMINED USING ACCELEROMETER-BASED INERTIAL MEASUREMENT UNIT (IMU) SENSORS IN 28,481 THOROUGHBRED RACE STARTS
- Creators
- Denise Mc Sweeney
- Contributors
- Warwick M Bayly (Advisor)Macarena G Sanz (Committee Member)Kelly D Farnsworth (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- College of Veterinary Medicine
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 37
- Identifiers
- 99901296995201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis