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Can quantitative computed tomography detect bone morphological changes associated with catastrophic proximal sesamoid bone fracture in Thoroughbred racehorses?
Abstract: Fracture of the proximal sesamoid bones continues to be the most common fatal musculoskeletal injury in US racehorses. Identifying factors that influence fracture risk could lead to screening techniques to reduce catastrophic injury rates and improve animal welfare. Objective: To identify morphological differences between proximal sesamoid bones of the contralateral limb of fracture and control horses and assess the feasibility of computed tomography (CT) to detect traits associated with proximal sesamoid bone fracture. We hypothesised that horses with proximal sesamoid bone fracture would have greater bone density. Methods: Cross-sectional cadaver morphological study. Methods: Proximal sesamoid bone morphology was measured using high-resolution micro-CT images from 16 Thoroughbred racehorses (eight fracture, eight control) euthanised on New York racetracks. Nominal logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic curves were created to assess the ability of CT-derived morphological traits to accurately classify fracture horses vs. controls. Results: Bone volume fraction was greater in the fracture group (90.39 ± 1.76%) as compared to controls (87.20 ± 2.79%, P<0.0001). Bone volume fraction, bone width, trabecular thickness and degree of anisotropy were significantly different between fracture and control horses. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that a combined model that incorporates bone volume fraction and width can identify fracture from control horses with an area under the curve of 0.938, indicating high accuracy at classifying fracture horses from controls. Conclusions: The number of horses per group is small, although the total number of sesamoids imaged is reasonable (n = 62). In vivo CT at the resolution performed in this study is currently unattainable; however, density and width could be measured with quantitative CT. Conclusions: Differences in proximal sesamoid bone morphology were identified between fracture and control horses. As improved technology becomes accessible, quantitative CT could potentially be used as a clinical imaging technique to estimate proximal sesamoid bone fracture risk in Thoroughbred racehorses.
© 2018 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2018-06-01 PubMed ID: 29758110DOI: 10.1111/evj.12965Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research examines whether quantitative computed tomography (CT) can identify morphological differences in the proximal sesamoid bones of racehorses that sustain fractures and those that do not. The primary hypothesis was that horses with these fractures would exhibit denser bones.
Study Design
- The study was a cross-sectional analysis of the bone morphology of Thoroughbred racehorses euthanised on New York racetracks.
- The sample consisted of 16 horses, with eight having experienced a fracture and eight that had not.
- The researchers used high-resolution micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) images to get detailed information about the bones’ structures.
Methodology
- The research team created nominal logistic regression models to facilitate the differentiation of bone traits among the control horses and those with fractures.
- A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was also created to gauge the accuracy of the models.
Findings
- There was a higher bone volume fraction in the fracture group (90.39%) as compared to the control group (87.20%).
- Significant differences were found between the fracture and control groups in terms of bone volume fraction, bone width, trabecular thickness, and degree of anisotropy.
- The ROC curve suggested high accuracy in distinguishing between fracture and control horses when bone volume fraction and width were combined.
- The study was limited by the small sample size. Another potential limitation was that the resolution achieved in the study is currently unachievable in vivo; however, bone density and width might be measured using quantitative CT.
Conclusion
- The study found differences in the morphological attributes of the proximal sesamoid bones between racehorses that had fractures and those that did not.
- This suggests that as technology advances and higher resolution imaging becomes possible in a live setting (in vivo), quantitative CT could be used as a clinical imaging technique to estimate the risk of proximal sesamoid bone fracture in racehorses.
Cite This Article
APA
Cresswell EN, McDonough SP, Palmer SE, Hernandez CJ, Reesink HL.
(2018).
Can quantitative computed tomography detect bone morphological changes associated with catastrophic proximal sesamoid bone fracture in Thoroughbred racehorses?
Equine Vet J, 51(1), 123-130.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12965 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
- Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
- Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
- Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
- Equine and Farm Animal Hospital, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Area Under Curve
- Cadaver
- Case-Control Studies
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- False Negative Reactions
- False Positive Reactions
- Female
- Forelimb / injuries
- Fractures, Bone / diagnostic imaging
- Fractures, Bone / veterinary
- Horses / injuries
- Logistic Models
- Male
- Physical Conditioning, Animal
- ROC Curve
- Risk Factors
- Sesamoid Bones / diagnostic imaging
- Sesamoid Bones / injuries
- X-Ray Microtomography / veterinary
Grant Funding
- Harry M. Zweig Memorial Fund for Equine Research
- Dante and Sharon Ferrini Award for Veterinary Thoroughbred Horse Racing Studies
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Noordwijk KJ, Chen L, Ruspi BD, Schurer S, Papa B, Fasanello DC, McDonough SP, Palmer SE, Porter IR, Basran PS, Donnelly E, Reesink HL. Metacarpophalangeal Joint Pathology and Bone Mineral Density Increase with Exercise but Not with Incidence of Proximal Sesamoid Bone Fracture in Thoroughbred Racehorses. Animals (Basel) 2023 Feb 24;13(5).
- Basran PS, McDonough S, Palmer S, Reesink HL. Radiomics Modeling of Catastrophic Proximal Sesamoid Bone Fractures in Thoroughbred Racehorses Using μCT. Animals (Basel) 2022 Nov 4;12(21).
- Cummings CO, Krucik DDR, Price E. Clinical predictive models in equine medicine: A systematic review. Equine Vet J 2023 Jul;55(4):573-583.
- Consoli FMA, Bernaldo de Quirós Y, Arbelo M, Fulle S, Marchisio M, Encinoso M, Fernandez A, Rivero MA. Cetaceans Humerus Radiodensity by CT: A Useful Technique Differentiating between Species, Ecophysiology, and Age. Animals (Basel) 2022 Jul 13;12(14).
- Pearce DJ, Hitchens PL, Malekipour F, Ayodele B, Lee PVS, Whitton RC. Biomechanical and Microstructural Properties of Subchondral Bone From Three Metacarpophalangeal Joint Sites in Thoroughbred Racehorses. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:923356.
- Crawford KL, Finnane A, Greer RM, Barnes TS, Phillips CJC, Woldeyohannes SM, Bishop EL, Perkins NR, Ahern BJ. Survival Analysis of Training Methodologies and Other Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Injury in 2-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses in Queensland, Australia. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:698298.
- Physick-Sheard P, Avison A, Sears W. Factors Associated with Fatality in Ontario Thoroughbred Racehorses: 2003-2015. Animals (Basel) 2021 Oct 13;11(10).
- Physick-Sheard P, Avison A, Sears W. Factors Associated with Mortality in Ontario Standardbred Racing: 2003-2015. Animals (Basel) 2021 Apr 5;11(4).
- Crawford KL, Finnane A, Phillips CJC, Greer RM, Woldeyohannes SM, Perkins NR, Kidd LJ, Ahern BJ. The Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Injuries in Thoroughbred Racehorses in Queensland, Australia: How These Vary for Two-Year-Old and Older Horses and with Type of Injury. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jan 21;11(2).
- Beck C, Morrice-West AV, Muir P, Hitchens PL, Whitton RC. Quantification of the difference in hounsfield units of an electron density phantom between a conventional and standing computed tomography machine. Vet Res Commun 2025 Jun 17;49(4):228.
- Turek B, Pawlikowski M, Jankowski K, Borowska M, Skierbiszewska K, Jasiński T, Domino M. Selection of density standard and X-ray tube settings for computed digital absorptiometry in horses using the k-means clustering algorithm. BMC Vet Res 2025 Mar 13;21(1):165.
- Nagy A, Boros K, Dyson S. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Computed Tomographic and Radiographic Findings in the Metacarpophalangeal Joints of 40 Non-Lame Thoroughbred Yearlings. Animals (Basel) 2023 Nov 9;13(22).
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