Using AI to help me understand lameness in my horse

[Worcester_cat]

In trying to solve my horse’s mystery lameness, the vet sent me an outline of what we had done, what it isn’t and what it could still be. Then, using Ai, I have asked Copilot to to summarise the treatment options. I also asked it to tell me chances of recovery which I have copied below.

I realise that this needs to be fact-checked but I have found it super useful to cut through the technical jargon. I would be interested if those of you in the know, consider it to be relatively accurate.

This is what it came up with:

CO-PILOT (and not fact-checked): The chances of recovery from injuries to the SDFT, DDFT, manica flexoria, PAL, sesamoidean ligaments, and the portion of the DDFT within the foot depend on several factors, including the severity and location of the injury, the treatment approach, and the horse's intended use.

1. Superficial and Deep Digital Flexor Tendons (SDFT & DDFT):
   • Recovery is possible, but these tendons are prone to re-injury due to their high load-bearing role. With appropriate treatment (e.g., rest, controlled exercise, and therapies like laser or stem cell treatment), many horses can return to light work or even competition, though full recovery may take 6-12 months.
2. Manica Flexoria:
   • Injuries to the manica flexoria often require surgical intervention, such as debridement or removal of damaged tissue. Recovery is generally good if the injury is addressed promptly, with many horses returning to their previous level of activity.
3. Plantar Annular Ligament (PAL):
   • PAL injuries often involve constriction or thickening, which can be treated with desmotomy (surgical cutting of the ligament). Recovery is typically favorable, though scar tissue formation can sometimes cause complications.
4. Sesamoidean Ligaments:
   • These ligaments are critical for joint stability, and injuries can be challenging to treat. Recovery depends on the extent of the damage, with mild injuries responding well to rest and rehabilitation. Severe injuries may limit the horse's athletic potential.
5. DDFT Within the Foot:
   • Injuries in this area are particularly difficult to diagnose and treat due to limited imaging capabilities. Recovery can be prolonged and may not always result in a return to full athletic function.

Overall, early and accurate diagnosis, combined with tailored treatment and rehabilitation, significantly improves the chances of recovery. However, the prognosis varies widely depending on the specific injury and the horse's role (e.g., leisure riding vs. high-performance competition). Let me know if you'd like to explore specific treatments or therapies!

 

[Bonnie Allie]

I’m also a massive AI geek (it’s my job) and with the volume of data vets have they should be utilising AI to summarise into client friendly language and sit down and discuss with us.

Data is fuel for AI, AI is fuel for insights - but not the answer. The qualified human is still responsible for insights in diagnosis. My vet is a bit challenged reading an x-ray and very challenged having a discussion around options for treatment. I wish they would make use of the data available to them and improve the client experience.

Techie comment - copilot is too pedestrian for what you are trying to do here. Like most of the tech companies their AI is designed to sit on top of their own suite of tools, so works brilliantly on top of Power BI for example if you can pull the data into a Unified Data Platform.

I’ve dropped my very technical surgeons report into AI to get a layman version and then refined the prompts to develop a treatment plan. It was far to generic to be of any use but it gave me a better framework to have a discussion with surgeon and physio