Contact area and pressure distribution changes of the equine third carpal bone during loading.

The research evaluates how the contact area and pressure distribution on the equine third carpal bone change with varying levels of load. The results indicate that increased load leads to a significant increase in contact area and shifts this area towards the dorsal aspect of the bone.

Objective and Methodology of the Research

• The main objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in contact area and pressure distribution on the third carpal bone of horses with increased load.
• The researchers used safranin-O dye staining – a staining technique used to detect cartilage – and pressure sensitive film techniques to study these changes.

Results and Findings

• The researchers observed that as the load applied was increased from 3115 to 9000 N, there was a significant increase in the percentage contact area. The contact area shifted towards the dorsal (upper) aspect of both the radial and intermediate facets of the third carpal bone.
• They also identified changes in the mean pressure under these same loading conditions. There was a significant increase in the mean pressure on the dorsomedial (towards the midline) to dorsolateral (away from the midline) aspect of the radial facet and the dorsomedial to middle-lateral aspect of the intermediate facet with increased loading.
• However, there was no significant increase in mean pressure with increased load on the palmar aspect (the front part) of either facet.

Implication of the Findings

• The researchers deduce that the increase in contact area and mean pressure with loading in the most dorsal and dorsomedial aspect of the radial facet may explain why there is a large amount of third carpal bone trauma observed in racing horses.
• Overall, the findings from this research provide a greater understanding of how increased load affects the equine third carpal bone and can inform preventive measures and treatments for carpal bone injuries in horses.