Communication between the distal interphalangeal joint and the navicular bursa in the horse at Computed Tomography Arthrography.
Abstract: Diffusion of drugs injected into the distal interphalangeal joint or the navicular (podotrochlear) bursa can influence diagnosis and treatment of foot pain. Previous anatomical and radiographic studies of the communication between these synovial structures have produced conflicting results and did not identify the location of any communication if present. This anatomic study aimed to assess the presence and site of communication between the distal interphalangeal joint and the navicular bursa in the horse by computed tomography arthrography. Sixty-six pairs of cadaver forelimbs were injected with contrast medium into the distal interphalangeal joint and imaged by computed tomography arthrography. The presence of a communication, location of the communication and additional structural changes were assessed. Navicular bursa opacification occurred in 7 distal limbs (5.3%) following distal interphalangeal joint injection. One limb showed a communication through the T-ligament and 6 limbs showed a communication through the distal sesamoidean impar ligament. In 3 cases, the communication through the distal sesamoidean impar ligament was associated with a distal border fragment. Our study showed that communication between the distal interphalangeal joint and navicular bursa is uncommon and inconsistent. Clinically, the presence of a communication could (1) influence the interpretation of diagnostic analgesia of the distal interphalangeal joint or the navicular bursa by facilitating the diffusion of local anaesthetic between these structures; (2) allow the drug and its potential adverse effects to spread from the treated synovial cavity to the non-targeted synovial cavity; (3) be responsible for the failure of joint drainage in the case of sepsis.
© 2019 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
Publication Date: 2019-01-04 PubMed ID: 30609106DOI: 10.1111/ahe.12421Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research investigated whether there’s a communication, or connection, between two specific areas in horse’s feet (distal interphalangeal joint and navicular bursa), using an imaging method called computed tomography arthrography. Results show the connection between these areas is not common, and, if present, it could impact the way medications spread and affect the treatment and diagnosis of foot pain in horses.
Methodology
- The study was an anatomical research conducted on 66 pairs of horse forelimbs obtained from cadavers.
- The forelimbs were injected with a contrast medium into the distal interphalangeal joint, an area at the bottom of the horses’ feet.
- Imaging of the injected area was undertaken using computed tomography arthrography, a procedure that uses X-rays and a contrast material to visualize a joint on a detailed, cross-sectional picture.
- Researchers then made assessments regarding the presence of a connection, its location, and any other structural changes.
Findings
- Contrast from the distal interphalangeal joint had reached the navicular bursa, another part of the horse’s foot, in 7 out of 66 pairs of forelimbs. This indicated a communication between these areas.
- This communication was found through the T-ligament in one limb, and through the distal sesamoidean impar ligament in six limbs.
- In three cases, a fragment of the edge of the bone was associated with this communication.
- The results exemplify that the occurrence of communication between the distal interphalangeal joint and the navicular bursa is not usual and lacks consistency.
Clinical Implications
- If present, this communication might affect how local anesthetic or drugs spread across these structures, potentially influencing their diagnostic and treatment outcomes.
- This connection could let the drug to migrate from the target area to a non-targeted area, causing potential adverse effects.
- In case of sepsis, the communication could interfere with joint drainage, leading to treatment failure.
Cite This Article
APA
Hontoir F, Rejas E, Falticeanu A, Nisolle JF, Simon V, Nicaise C, Clegg PD, Vandeweerd JE.
(2019).
Communication between the distal interphalangeal joint and the navicular bursa in the horse at Computed Tomography Arthrography.
Anat Histol Embryol, 48(2), 133-141.
https://doi.org/10.1111/ahe.12421 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Faculty of Sciences, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Integrated Veterinary Research Unit (IVRU) - Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium.
- Faculty of Sciences, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Integrated Veterinary Research Unit (IVRU) - Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium.
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) UCL Namur-Mont Godinne, Université Catholique de Louvain, Yvoir, Belgium.
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) UCL Namur-Mont Godinne, Université Catholique de Louvain, Yvoir, Belgium.
- Faculty of Sciences, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Integrated Veterinary Research Unit (IVRU) - Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium.
- LabCeTi - Laboratoire des Cellules et Tissus - Faculty of Medicine, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium.
- Department of Musculoskeletal Biology, Institute of Ageing and Chronic disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
- Faculty of Sciences, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Integrated Veterinary Research Unit (IVRU) - Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Arthrography / methods
- Arthrography / veterinary
- Bursa, Synovial / anatomy & histology
- Cadaver
- Foot / anatomy & histology
- Forelimb
- Horses / anatomy & histology
- Joints / anatomy & histology
- Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Grant Funding
- University of Namur
- NARILIS (Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences)
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Gruyaert M, Oosterlinck M, Haspeslagh M, Nagy A. Computed tomographic evaluation of the proximity of needles placed for perineural anesthesia of the palmar digital nerves to synovial structures in the foot: an ex vivo study. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1404331.
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