Variability of the proximal phalanx in warmblood and coldblood horses – morphological and structural analyses

Małgorzata Dzierzęcka; Marcin Komosa

doi:10.26496/bjz.2013.130

Authors

Małgorzata Dzierzęcka Department of Morphological Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Marcin Komosa Department of Animal Anatomy – Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26496/bjz.2013.130

Keywords:

bone, computed tomography, horses, proximal phalanx

Abstract

Anatomical shape as well as bone geometry are important factors for the mechanical properties of stiffness and strength in bones. In the light of this statement, the primary aim of the study was to evaluate the variable forms of the proximal phalanx in different types of horses. Multivariate analyses of data from 81 horses revealed that the proximal phalanx has diverse spatial forms. Differences were observed particularly in the length of the bone and the breadth of its diaphysis. In horses with lighter morphotype, the phalanx is significantly narrower in its middle section. In the second stage of the study, geometrical parameters of the phalanx were analysed with the use of peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Tomographic analysis was conducted at three levels: at 15%, 50% and 85% of the bone length. Based on the analysis, we concluded that most of the geometric parameters have higher values in coldbloods but only at the mid-diaphysis (50%) and at 85% of the bone length. Moreover, in coldblood horses, higher strength of the phalanx at these levels, expressed by Strength Strain Index, was observed. We did not observe any significant differences between warmblood and coldblood horses in the metaphyseal proximal region which is located at 15 % of the bone length.

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