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Equine veterinary journal2024; doi: 10.1111/evj.14093

Closure of the neuro-central synchondrosis and other physes in foal cervical spines.

Abstract: The neuro-central synchondrosis (NCS) is a physis responsible for the growth of the dorsal third of the vertebral body and neural arches. When the NCS of pigs is tethered to model scoliosis, stenosis also ensues. It is necessary to describe the NCS for future evaluation of its potential role in equine spinal cord compression and ataxia (wobbler syndrome). Objective: To describe the NCS, including when it and other physes closed in computed tomographic (CT) scans of the cervical spine of foals, due to its potential role in vertebral stenosis. Methods: Post-mortem cohort study. Methods: The cervical spine of 35 cases, comprising both sexes and miscellaneous breeds from 153 gestational days to 438 days old, was examined with CT and physes scored from 6: fully open to 0: fully closed. The dorsal physis, physis of the dens and mid-NCS were scored separately, whereas the cranial and caudal NCS portions were scored together with the respective cranial and caudal vertebral body physes. Results: The NCS was a pair of thin physes located in a predominantly dorsal plane between the vertebral body and neural arches. The mid-NCS was closed in C1 from 115 days of age, and in C2-C7 from 38 days of age. The dorsal physis closed later than the NCS in C1, and earlier than the NCS in C2-C7. The dens physis was closed from 227 days of age. The cranial and caudal physes were closing, but not closed from different ages in the different vertebrae of the oldest cases. Conclusions: Hospital population. Conclusions: The NCS was a thin physis that contributed mainly to height-wise growth, but also width- and length-wise growth of the vertebral body and neural arches. The mid-NCS was closed in all cervical vertebrae from 115 days of age. The NCS warrants further investigation in the pathogenesis of vertebral stenosis. Unassigned: La sincondrosis neuro‐central (NCS) es la fisis responsable del crecimiento del tercio dorsal del cuerpo vertebral y de los arcos neurales. Cuando la NCS en cerdos se asocia a un modelo de escoliosis, también se produce estenosis. Es necesario describir la NCS para la futura evaluación de su rol potencial en la comprensión de la medula espinal equina y ataxia (síndrome de Wobbler). Objective: Describir la NCS incluyendo cuando ella y otras fisis se cierran, por tomografía computarizada (CT) de la columna cervical de potrillos, debido a su rol potencial en la estenosis vertebral. DISEÑO DEL ESTUDIO: Estudio de cohorte post‐mortem. MÉTODOS: La columna cervical de 35 casos, incluyendo ambos sexos y diferentes razas, desde 153 días gestacionales hasta 438 días de edad, fueron examinadas por CT y las fisis fueron dadas un puntaje de, 6: completamente abiertas a, 0: completamente cerradas. La fisis dorsal, la fisis del hueso odontoides y NCS media fueron evaluadas en forma separada, mientras las porciones de NCS craneal y caudal fueron evaluadas juntas con las respectiva fisis del cuerpo vertebral craneal y caudal. Results: La NCS es un par de fisis delgadas localizadas predominantemente en el plano dorsal entre el cuerpo vertebral y los arcos vertebrales. La NCS media estaba cerrada en C1 desde los días 115 de edad, y en C2‐C7 a partir de los 38 días de edad. La fisis dorsal se cerró más tarde que la NCS en C1, y antes que la NCS en C2‐C7. La fisis del hueso odontoides estaba cerradas a partir de los 227 días de edad. Las fisis craneal y caudal estaban cerrándose, pero no estaban cerradas a distintas edades en las diferentes vertebras en los casos mayores de edad. Unassigned: Población de hospital CONCLUSIONES: La NCS es una fisis delgada que contribuye principalmente al crecimiento en altura, pero también en ancho y largo del cuerpo vertebral y arcos vertebrales. La NCS media estaba cerrada en todas las vértebras cervicales a partir de los 115 días de edad. La NCS merece ser investigada más en la patogénesis de la estenosis vertebral. Palabras Clave: ataxia, tomografía computarizada, caballo, osteocondrosis, estenosis, crecimiento vertebral.
© 2024 The Authors. Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2024-04-09 PubMed ID: 38594893DOI: 10.1111/evj.14093Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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The research article describes a study of the development of the neuro-central synchondrosis (NCS) and other areas of growth (physes) in the neck vertebrae of young horses. The NCS was found to play a significant role in the height, width, and length growth of the vertebral body and neural arches, and its development could potentially be involved in spinal cord compression and wobbler syndrome in horses.

Objective of the Study

  • The primary aim of the study was to characterize the NCS in young horses, focusing particularly on when it, along with other physes, closes. This closure was observed through computed tomographic (CT) scans of the neck vertebrae due to the NCS’s potential role in vertebral stenosis.

Methodology

  • The study used a post-mortem analysis of the cervical spine of 35 foals, of various breeds and both genders, aged between 153 gestational days to 438 days old.
  • The cervical spine was examined using CT scanning, and the degree of closure of the physes was categorized on a scale of 6 (fully open) to 0 (fully closed).
  • The dorsal physis, physis of the dens and mid-NCS were each scored separately, whereas the cranial and caudal NCS portions were scored in conjunction with the respective cranial and caudal vertebral body physes.

Results

  • The NCS was identified as a thin pair of physes located in a primarily dorsal plane between the vertebral body and neural arches.
  • The mid-NCS was found to close in the first cervical vertebra (C1) from 115 days of age, and in the remaining cervical vertebrae (C2-C7) from 38 days of age.
  • It was also found that the closure of the dorsal physis occurred later than the NCS in C1, but earlier than the NCS in C2-C7.
  • The physis of the dens was closed from 227 days of age.
  • The cranial and caudal physes were found to be in the process of closing at different ages across various vertebrae in the eldest subjects, but were not fully closed.

Conclusions

  • The NCS was established as a thin physis contributing mainly to the height-wise growth, but also to the width and length-wise growth of the vertebral body and neural arches.
  • The mid-NCS was found to close in all cervical vertebrae from 115 days of age.
  • Due to its potential role in vertebral stenosis, the authors concluded that the NCS warrants further investigation.

Cite This Article

APA
Olstad K, Bugge MD, Ytrehus B, Kallerud AS. (2024). Closure of the neuro-central synchondrosis and other physes in foal cervical spines. Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14093

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Olstad, Kristin
  • Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Equine Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
Bugge, Mari Dahl
  • Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Equine Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
Ytrehus, Bjørnar
  • Department of Biomedical Science and Veterinary Public Health, Pathology Unit, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
Kallerud, Anne Selvén
  • Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Equine Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.

Grant Funding

  • H20-47-553 / Swedish-Norwegian Foundation for Equine Research
  • 323877 / Norges Forskningsru00e5d

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Olstad K. Science-in-brief: Recent advances in failure of the blood supply to growth cartilage, osteochondrosis and developmental orthopaedic disease. Equine Vet J 2025 Sep;57(5):1161-1166.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.14486pubmed: 39924168google scholar: lookup
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