Epiphyseal cartilage canal blood supply to the distal femur of foals.
Abstract: The developmental pattern of the cartilage canal blood supply to epiphyseal growth cartilage has been linked to osteochondrosis (OC) in the tarsus of foals. This pattern has not yet been described in the distal femur, another site frequently affected by OC. Objective: To describe the developmental pattern of the blood supply to the distal femoral epiphyseal growth cartilage in 8 Standardbred foals age 0-7 weeks. Methods: One foal was sacrificed weekly from birth to age 7 weeks (n=8) to undergo a barium perfusion procedure to demonstrate vessels within cartilage canals of one hindlimb. The distal end of the femur was cleared in methyl salicylate and perfused vessels were studied in the intact bones. Each distal femur was then sawed into 5 mm thick slabs in the transverse plane, and the slabs decalcified and radiographed. Finally, the lateral trochlear ridge was separated from each slab and examined histologically. Results: The cartilage canal blood supply regressed with increasing age, but several regions remained vascularised in the oldest foal at age 7 weeks. Vessels arose from perichondrial and subchondral arterial sources, and coursed perpendicular or parallel to the ossification front. The midsection of parallel vessels became incorporated into the ossification front during growth. Anastomoses formed and vessels within the distal portion of canals with an original perichondrial source shifted to use subchondral vessels as their arterial source. Both parallel and perpendicular vessels therefore traversed the ossification front to enter cartilage canals. No histological lesions were observed in sections from any of the foals. Conclusions: The same anatomical feature (traversing the ossification front to enter cartilage canals) reported to render vessels vulnerable to failure in the tarsus was also present in the distal femur of foals. Conclusions: OC may occur by the same pathogenetic mechanism in the distal femur as in the tarsus of foals.
Publication Date: 2008-05-20 PubMed ID: 18487109DOI: 10.2746/042516408X300269Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The study investigates the pattern of how blood is supplied to the cartilage that helps the bones of foals in their hind legs grow. Researchers found that this supply decreases with age but remains in some areas up to 7 weeks old. The study will potentially help in understanding a disease called osteochondrosis (OC), which affects the same areas of the leg.
Objective of the Research
- The main objective of the study was to describe how blood is supplied to a particular type of cartilage (called epiphyseal growth cartilage) found at the end part of the hind leg bone (the distal femur) in foals aged between 0 to 7 weeks.
Methods Used in the Research
- One foal was sacrificed every week from birth until they were 7 weeks old. The researchers used a technique called barium perfusion to make the vessels within the cartilage canals visible in one of the foal’s hind legs.
- The distal end of the femur, after being cleared in methyl salicylate, was studied to view the perfused vessels.
- Each distal femur was then cut into 5mm thick slices in the transverse plane, and these slices were then decalcified and radiographed.
- The lateral trochlear ridge (a part of the inner kneecap) was then removed from each slice and examined histologically.
Results of the Research
- The research found that the blood supply through the cartilage canals decreased as the foal aged but remained present in certain regions even in the oldest foal at 7 weeks.
- The blood vessels, which originated from perichondrial and subchondral arterial sources, were identified to move either perpendicular or parallel to the front of ossification (the process in which the cartilage gradually changes to bone as the foal grows).
- The middle part of the parallel blood vessels was found to be incorporated into the ossification front during growth.
- Anastomoses were formed and vessels within the most distal part of canals, initially taking blood from a perichondrial source, shifted to subchondral vessels for their arterial supply.
- Both parallel and perpendicular vessels were found to cross the ossification front to enter the cartilage canals.
- No histological lesions were identified in any sections from the foals studied.
Conclusion
- The same anatomical characteristic that increases the vulnerability of vessels to fail in the tarsus was found to be present in the distal femur of foals.
- Such a development indicates that OC may develop by the same pathogenic mechanism in the distal femur as in the tarsus of foals.
Cite This Article
APA
Olstad K, Ytrehus B, Ekman S, Carlson CS, Dolvik NI.
(2008).
Epiphyseal cartilage canal blood supply to the distal femur of foals.
Equine Vet J, 40(5), 433-439.
https://doi.org/10.2746/042516408X300269 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Section for Equine Medicine and Surgery, Post Box 8146 Dep., N-0033 Oslo, Norway.
MeSH Terms
- Aging
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Cartilage, Articular / blood supply
- Cartilage, Articular / pathology
- Female
- Femur / blood supply
- Femur / pathology
- Growth Plate / blood supply
- Growth Plate / pathology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horse Diseases / physiopathology
- Horses
- Male
- Osteochondritis / pathology
- Osteochondritis / physiopathology
- Osteochondritis / veterinary
- Prevalence
- Regional Blood Flow
- Reperfusion / veterinary
- Treatment Outcome
Citations
This article has been cited 18 times.- Van Cauter R, Serteyn D, Lejeune JP, Rousset A, Caudron I. Evaluation of the appearance of osteochondrosis lesions by two radiographic examinations in sport horses aged from 12 to 36 months. PLoS One 2023;18(5):e0286213.
- Grissom SK, Semevolos SA, Duesterdieck-Zellmer K. Role of cartilage and bone matrix regulation in early equine osteochondrosis. Bone Rep 2023 Jun;18:101653.
- Olstad K, Gangsei LE, Kongsro J. A method for labelling lesions for machine learning and some new observations on osteochondrosis in computed tomographic scans of four pig joints. BMC Vet Res 2022 Aug 31;18(1):328.
- Olstad K, Aasmundstad T, Kongsro J, Grindflek E. Osteochondrosis and other lesions in all intervertebral, articular process and rib joints from occiput to sacrum in pigs with poor back conformation, and relationship to juvenile kyphosis. BMC Vet Res 2022 Jan 18;18(1):44.
- Ellermann JM, Ludwig KD, Nissi MJ, Johnson CP, Strupp JP, Wang L, Zbýň Š, Tóth F, Arendt E, Tompkins M, Shea K, Carlson CS. Three-Dimensional Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Epiphyseal Cartilage Vascularity Using Vessel Image Features: New Insights into Juvenile Osteochondritis Dissecans. JB JS Open Access 2019 Oct-Dec;4(4).
- Olstad K, Wormstrand B, Kongsro J, Grindflek E. Computed tomographic development of physeal osteochondrosis in pigs. BMC Vet Res 2019 Dec 17;15(1):454.
- Tóth F, Johnson CP, Mills B, Nissi MJ, Nykänen O, Ellermann J, Ludwig KD, Tompkins M, Carlson CS. Evaluation of the Suitability of Miniature Pigs as an Animal Model of Juvenile Osteochondritis Dissecans. J Orthop Res 2019 Oct;37(10):2130-2137.
- Hendrickson EHS, Lykkjen S, Dolvik NI, Olstad K. Prevalence of osteochondral lesions in the fetlock and hock joints of Standardbred horses that survived bacterial infection before 6 months of age. BMC Vet Res 2018 Dec 10;14(1):390.
- Tóth F, Nissi MJ, Ellermann JM, Wang L, Shea KG, Polousky J, Carlson CS. Novel Application of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Demonstrates Characteristic Differences in Vasculature at Predilection Sites of Osteochondritis Dissecans. Am J Sports Med 2015 Oct;43(10):2522-7.
- Olstad K, Hendrickson EH, Ekman S, Carlson CS, Dolvik NI. Local Morphological Response of the Distal Femoral Articular-Epiphyseal Cartilage Complex of Young Foals to Surgical Stab Incision and Potential Relevance to Cartilage Injury and Repair in Children. Cartilage 2013 Jul;4(3):239-48.
- Tóth F, Nissi MJ, Wang L, Ellermann JM, Carlson CS. Surgical induction, histological evaluation, and MRI identification of cartilage necrosis in the distal femur in goats to model early lesions of osteochondrosis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2015 Feb;23(2):300-7.
- Desjardin C, Riviere J, Vaiman A, Morgenthaler C, Diribarne M, Zivy M, Robert C, Le Moyec L, Wimel L, Lepage O, Jacques C, Cribiu E, Schibler L. Omics technologies provide new insights into the molecular physiopathology of equine osteochondrosis. BMC Genomics 2014 Oct 31;15(1):947.
- Olstad K, Kongsro J, Grindflek E, Dolvik NI. Consequences of the natural course of articular osteochondrosis in pigs for the suitability of computed tomography as a screening tool. BMC Vet Res 2014 Sep 9;10:212.
- McCoy AM, Toth F, Dolvik NI, Ekman S, Ellermann J, Olstad K, Ytrehus B, Carlson CS. Articular osteochondrosis: a comparison of naturally-occurring human and animal disease. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2013 Nov;21(11):1638-47.
- Tóth F, Nissi MJ, Zhang J, Benson M, Schmitter S, Ellermann JM, Carlson CS. Histological confirmation and biological significance of cartilage canals demonstrated using high field MRI in swine at predilection sites of osteochondrosis. J Orthop Res 2013 Dec;31(12):2006-12.
- 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.
- Olstad K, Bugge MD, Ytrehus B, Kallerud AS. Closure of the neuro-central synchondrosis and other physes in foal cervical spines. Equine Vet J 2025 Jan;57(1):217-231.
- Tóth F, Nissi MJ, Armstrong AR, Buko EO, Johnson CP. Epiphyseal cartilage vascular architecture at the distal humeral osteochondritis dissecans predilection site in juvenile pigs. J Orthop Res 2024 Apr;42(4):737-744.
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