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Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association2019; 60(5); 485-492; doi: 10.1111/vru.12773

Morphological variations of the infraorbital canal during CT has limited association with headshaking in horses.

Abstract: Headshaking is a common problem in horses. The etiology is unknown but thought to involve sensory input from branches of the trigeminal nerve, some of which are within the infraorbital canal. The objective of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to describe the CT anatomy and variations of the infraorbital canal in horses with local disease processes and normal horses, and to examine associations between those findings and headshaking. Computed tomography scans were reviewed and morphological changes of the infraorbital canal were described. Presence of changes was then tested for association with headshaking prevalence, presence of disease processes in the region of the infraorbital canal, age, and sex. Nonparametric tests were used and a P-value of .05 was considered significant. A total of 218 horses were included, 9% of which had headshaking and 45% had CT lesions in the region of the infraorbital canal. Morphological changes to the bone of the infraorbital canal were found in 121 horses (56%) and included the following: increased mineralization 39 (18%), decreased mineralization 89 (41%), deformed shape 51 (23%), displaced position 43 (20%), and disruption 11 (5%). All changes of the infraorbital canal significantly increased in frequency with the presence of adjacent disease. Increased mineralization and disruption of the infraorbital canal were significantly associated with headshaking in horses with adjacent disease; the latter only reached significance after exclusion of dentally immature horses. No other changes were significantly associated with the presence of headshaking. No association was found between headshaking and the age or sex of the horse.
© 2019 American College of Veterinary Radiology.
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Publication Date: 2019-06-04 PubMed ID: 31161704DOI: 10.1111/vru.12773Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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 examined the connection between variations in a horse’s infraorbital canal morphology and headshaking behavior by studying CT (Computed Tomography) scans of horses. The study found limited associations, indicating that while some morphological changes had an increased prevalence in headshaking horses, they did not conclusively lead to this behavior.

Study Objective and Methodology

  • This was a cross-sectional study with a retrospective approach. The aim was to analyze CT scans to understand the anatomy and variations in the infraorbital canal—the cavity in a horse’s skull through which a branch of the trigeminal nerve passes.
  • The association between any infraorbital canal variations found and behaviors like headshaking was analyzed. The presence or absence of local disease processes, as well as the horse’s age and sex, were also considered.
  • The researchers used non-parametric tests to validate their findings, setting their threshold for significance at a P-value of .05.

Study Findings

  • A total of 218 horses were included in the study. 9% showed headshaking behavior, and 45% had lesions detectable by CT scan in the region of the infraorbital canal.
  • The researchers observed a variety of morphological changes in the infraorbital canal’s bone structure. These included increased mineralization, decreased mineralization, deformed shape, displaced position, and disruption.
  • 56% of the horses indeed had morphological changes in the bone of the infraorbital canal. The most observed shift was decreased mineralization (41%), followed by deformed shape (23%) and increased mineralization (18%).
  • All the observed changes in the infraorbital canal were found to occur more frequently in horses with local disease processes—diseases affecting or originating in the area around the infraorbital canal.
  • Two specific changes—increase in mineralization and disruption of the canal—showed a significant association with headshaking in horses with adjacent diseases. However, disruption of the canal only reached significance when horses with dental immaturity were excluded.
  • Apart from these, no other changes displayed a significant association with headshaking behavior. Also, the researchers didn’t find any link between headshaking and the horse’s age or sex.

To sum it all, this study suggests that there may be some connection between the morphological variations of the infraorbital canal and headshaking in horses, particularly those with adjacent disease processes. However, more research is needed given the limited significance of the associations observed.

Cite This Article

APA
Edwards RA, Hermans H, Veraa S. (2019). Morphological variations of the infraorbital canal during CT has limited association with headshaking in horses. Vet Radiol Ultrasound, 60(5), 485-492. https://doi.org/10.1111/vru.12773

Publication

Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association
ISSN: 1740-8261
NlmUniqueID: 9209635
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 60
Issue: 5
Pages: 485-492

Researcher Affiliations

Edwards, Ralph A
  • Division of Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Hermans, Hanneke
  • Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Veraa, Stefanie
  • Division of Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Horse Diseases / etiology
  • Horse Diseases / pathology
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / veterinary
  • Trigeminal Nerve / diagnostic imaging
  • Trigeminal Nerve / pathology

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This article includes 24 references
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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
  1. Lloyd-Edwards RA, Mulders E, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Veraa S. Computed Tomography of the Hyoid Apparatus in Equine Headshaking Syndrome. Vet Sci 2025 May 23;12(6).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci12060511pubmed: 40559747google scholar: lookup
  2. Stieger-Vanegas SM, Hanna AL. The Role of Computed Tomography in Imaging Non-neurologic Disorders of the Head in Equine Patients. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:798216.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.798216pubmed: 35321060google scholar: lookup
  3. Goodarzi N, Zehtabvar O, Tohidifar M. Applied anatomy of the skull in the Arabian horse: A computed tomographic, cross-sectional, volumetric and morphometric study. Vet Med Sci 2021 Nov;7(6):2225-2233.
    doi: 10.1002/vms3.618pubmed: 34453414google scholar: lookup
  4. Kutara K, Kadekaru S, Sugisawa R, Une Y. Pyogenic meningitis and trigeminal neuritis secondary to periodontogenic paranasal sinusitis in a red deer (Cervus elaphus). J Vet Med Sci 2021 Jun 9;83(6):947-951.
    doi: 10.1292/jvms.21-0029pubmed: 33840720google scholar: lookup
  5. Dixon PM, Barnett TP, Morgan RE, Reardon RJM. Computed Tomographic Assessment of Individual Paranasal Sinus Compartment and Nasal Conchal Bulla Involvement in 300 Cases of Equine Sinonasal Disease. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:580356.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.580356pubmed: 33195594google scholar: lookup
  6. Dixon PM, Puidupin C, Borkent D, Liuti T, Reardon RJM. A Computed Tomographic Assessment of Osteitis of Sinus Bony Structures in Horses With Sinonasal Disorders. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:627.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00627pubmed: 33062655google scholar: lookup
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