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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Identifying by Radiograph Grade 4 Aplasia of the Caudal Lami...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2026; 16(3); 482; doi: 10.3390/ani16030482

Identifying by Radiograph Grade 4 Aplasia of the Caudal Lamina Ventralis in the Equine Sixth Cervical Vertebra and Three Coinciding Morphological Variations.

Abstract: To date, radiographically identifying the bony landmarks relevant to diagnosing the complete C6 aplasia of the caudal lamina ventralis (C6 aCLV4) has not been described. Furthermore, a gross study has identified C6 aCLV4 as the main correlation between transposition of the CLV from C6 to C7, where coinciding neck pain was commonly reported. This study aimed to identify C6 aCLV4 in radiographs, where the outcome might benefit equine practitioners in isolating neck pain. Initially, the relevant bony landmarks were radiographically determined from a normal C6 by applying a lateral 30° dorsal-ventral oblique view. From here, the caudal border of the transverse process (TP) projecting from the vertebral body became the defining point of reference due to the image clearly demarcating the adjacent CLV. In C6 aCLV4 cases, the CLV is completely aplastic caudal to the TP. Twenty mixed-breed horses (13 males/7 females) aged 3-22 years radiographically demonstrated a C6 aCLV4, which was confirmed by their corresponding gross morphology. During this process three anomalous variations became apparent-in the longus colli muscle, C7 foramen transversarium, and vertebral artery. Therefore, this study demonstrates effective techniques for identifying C6 aCLV4 in horses, where the results might assist veterinarians in diagnosing neck pain while providing anatomical clarity.
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Publication Date: 2026-02-04 PubMed ID: 41681463PubMed Central: PMC12897093DOI: 10.3390/ani16030482Google Scholar: Lookup
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APA
DeClue A, Workman K, May-Davis S. (2026). Identifying by Radiograph Grade 4 Aplasia of the Caudal Lamina Ventralis in the Equine Sixth Cervical Vertebra and Three Coinciding Morphological Variations. Animals (Basel), 16(3), 482. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16030482

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 16
Issue: 3
PII: 482

Researcher Affiliations

DeClue, Audrey
  • DeClue Equine LLC, 6955 NW 100th Street, Ocala, FL 34482, USA.
Workman, Kate
  • Rexos Incorporated (5O1c3b-Nonprofit Research Facility), 1087 Lakebay Rd., Vass, Carthage, NC 28394, USA.
  • Denali Equine PLLC, 1087 Lakebay Rd., Vass, NC 208394, USA.
May-Davis, Sharon
  • Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia.

Conflict of Interest Statement

Author Audrey DeClue is employed by the company “DeClue Equine LLC”. Author Kate Workman is employed by the company “Denali Equine PLLC”. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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