Radiogrametric Analysis of the Thoracic Limb Phalanges in Arabian Horses and Thoroughbred Horses.

Ozan Gündemir,Tomasz Szara,Gülsün Pazvant,William Perez,Sokol Duro,Dilek Olğun Erdikmen

doi:10.3390/ani11082205

Abstract

Simple SummaryThe aim of the research was to determine the radiogrametric features differentiating the phalanges of the thoracic limbs of Arabian horses and Thoroughbred horses including sexual dimorphism. Nine traits and three indexes were analyzed. Radiological measurements of phalanges showed that sexual dimorphism is not clearly marked and differences between breeds manifest themself mainly in the proximal phalanx measurements. None of the parameters tested in Thoroughbred horses differed significantly between males and females. The discriminant analysis enabled the correct classification of 89.33% of the proximal phalanx samples to the exact breed. This percentage was 77.33% in the case of the middle phalanx and 54.67% for the distal phalanx, respectively. The data obtained from this study can be used as a reference material for the radiogrametric evaluation of the skeleton of the manus in horses.In this study, it was aimed to determine the statistical differences between Arabian horses and Thoroughbred horses based on X-ray images of forelimb digital bones. Latero-medial X-ray images of digital bones of thoracic limbs were taken of 25 Arabian horses and 50 Thoroughbred healthy horses. The difference between males and females within the breed was statistically analyzed as well. Nine measurements and three indexes taken from phalanges of thoracic limbs were used. Thoroughbred horses did not differ significantly between sexes, as indicated by the ANOVA. For the Arabian horses, the length of the middle of the proximal phalanx (p < 0.05), the length of the middle of the middle phalanx (p < 0.001), and the length of the dorsal surface of the distal phalanx (p < 0.05) measurement points were found to be differentiated between sexes. In the analysis made between Thoroughbred horses and Arabian horses with no respect to sex, the critical measurement was the depth of the caput of the proximal phalanx. The discriminant analysis enabled the correct classification of 89.33% of the proximal phalanx samples to the exact breed. The correct classification rate was 77.33% in the case of middle phalanx and 54.67% in the case of distal phalanx. Measurement results of the distal phalanx were found to be insignificant between both breeds and sexes. The radiological measurements of digital bones showed that sexual dimorphism was not too expressed and that decisive differences were found between the breeds.

Highlights

Radiographic imaging techniques have become more readily available, and are widely used in veterinary environments
The study was conducted with 25 Arabian horses (7 females, 18 males) and 50 (15 females, 35 males) Thoroughbred horses aged between 2 and 8 years, brought to the Jockey
We examined whether there was a difference between the two breeds in radiogrametric measurements taken of phalangeal bones

Summary

Introduction

Radiographic imaging techniques have become more readily available, and are widely used in veterinary environments. Beside clinical use, these image data are used in veterinary anatomy as educational tools, and for differentiating breeds [1,2,3,4]. A significant number of cases of lameness in thoracic limbs may be due to the non-optimal alignment of phalanges [8]. Various studies have been carried out to examine the position of phalanges relative to each other and the angular positions between them radiogrametrically [9,10,11]. X-ray images have been used to evaluate the general joint conformation of healthy animals, not just in suspicion of lameness [12]

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