Morphological characteristics of subchondral bone cysts in medial femoral condyles of adult horses as determined by computed tomography.
Abstract: To determine morphological characteristics of subchondral bone cysts (SBCs) in medial femoral condyles (MFCs) of adult horses with orthopedic disease. Methods: CT scans of 7 MFCs with SBCs from 6 adult horses. Methods: CT was used to determine the volume, surface area, and centers of the articular cyst opening and SBC in each MFC. Cysts were ordered from smallest to largest on the basis of volume. Osseous pathological characteristics of the MFC were assessed in the frontal plane. Three-dimensional distance of displacement between the center of the articular cyst opening and center of the cyst was determined for each SBC. Cyst surface area-to-volume ratio was evaluated and compared with that of a true sphere. Results: All SBCs had a defect in the subchondral bone plate at the cranial 15% to 20% of the MFC. Cyst center was located in a caudal, proximal, and abaxial direction with respect to the center of the articular cyst opening for each horse. Small- and intermediate-volume SBCs were irregular and multilobulated, whereas large-volume SBCs were smooth and discrete with a surface area-to-volume ratio approaching that of a sphere. Conclusions: Consistency in morphological characteristics suggested a common etiopathogenesis for SBCs in MFCs of adult horses. Cyst enlargement may have been attributable to a biomechanical predisposition to decrease the surface area-to-volume ratio, resulting in a spherical cyst.
Publication Date: 2016-02-27 PubMed ID: 26919597DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.77.3.265Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Evaluation Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This research conducted detailed analysis using computed tomography (CT) to examine the morphological attributes of subchondral bone cysts (SBCs) in a component of horses’ knees known as the medial femoral condyles (MFCs). The result showed that the cysts have a common structure which suggests they might develop due to similar conditions or causes, and larger cysts take a spherical shape due to factors that reduce the surface area-to-volume ratio.
Methodology
- The study utilized CT scans on 7 MFCs from 6 adult horses known to have SBCs.
- With the CT scans, parameters such as the volume, surface area, and centers of both the cyst opening and the SBC itself were determined.
- The cysts were then arranged in ascending order according to their volume.
- The team also examined any pathological characteristics in the MFC, particularly in the frontal plane.
- For each SBC, the team calculated the three-dimensional distance of displacement between the center of the cyst opening and the center of the SBC.
- The surface area-to-volume ratio of the cysts was evaluated and compared to that of a true sphere.
Findings
- All the SBCs had a defect in the subchondral bone plate at the cranial, approximately 15% to 20% of the MFC.
- The cyst center was positioned in a caudal, proximal, and abaxial direction relative to the center of the cyst opening in all the horses.
- Cysts of smaller and intermediate volumes were irregular and multilobulated, whereas large-volume SBCs had smooth and discrete shapes with a surface area-to-volume ratio similar to a sphere.
Conclusions
- The uniformity in the morphological characteristics of the cysts points to a common cause or conditions (etiopathogenesis) for the SBCs in the MFCs of adult horses.
- It is suggested that the enlargement of these cysts might be due to a biomechanical predisposition that leads to a decrease in the surface area-to-volume ratio, resulting in the cysts taking a more spherical shape.
Cite This Article
APA
Walker WT, Silverberg JL, Kawcak CE, Nelson BB, Fortier LA.
(2016).
Morphological characteristics of subchondral bone cysts in medial femoral condyles of adult horses as determined by computed tomography.
Am J Vet Res, 77(3), 265-274.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.77.3.265 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bone Cysts / diagnostic imaging
- Bone Cysts / veterinary
- Female
- Femur / diagnostic imaging
- Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging
- Horses
- Male
- Tomography, X-Ray Computed / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Pucchio AMR, Knowles NK, Miquel J, Athwal GS, Ferreira LM. Comparison of clinical-CT segmentation techniques for measuring subchondral bone cyst volume in glenohumeral osteoarthritis. J Exp Orthop 2023 Jan 6;10(1):1.
- Lemirre T, Santschi E, Girard C, Fogarty U, Chapuis L, Richard H, Beauchamp G, Laverty S. Maturation of the equine medial femoral condyle osteochondral unit. Osteoarthr Cartil Open 2020 Mar;2(1):100029.
- Canonici F, Marcoccia D, Bonini P, Monteleone V, Innocenzi E, Zepparoni A, Altigeri A, Caciolo D, Tofani S, Ghisellini P, Rando C, Pechkova E, Rau JV, Eggenhöffner R, Scicluna MT, Barbaro K. Arthroscopic Treatment of a Subchondral Bone Cyst via Stem Cells Application: A Case Study in Equine Model and Outcomes. Biomedicines 2023 Dec 14;11(12).
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
