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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2025; 15(15); 2259; doi: 10.3390/ani15152259

Motion Coupling at the Cervical Vertebral Joints in the Horse-An Ex Vivo Study Using Bone-Anchored Markers.

Abstract: The influence of soft tissue structures, including ligaments spanning one or more intervertebral junctions and the nuchal ligament, on motion of the equine cervical joints remains unclear. The present study addressed this using four post-mortem horse specimens extending from head to withers with all ligaments intact. Three-dimensional kinematics was obtained from markers on the head and bone-anchored markers on each cervical and the first thoracic vertebra during rotation, lateral bending, flexion and extension of the whole head, and neck segment. Yaw, pitch, and roll angles in 8 cervical joints (total 32) were calculated. Flexion and extension were expressed mainly as pitch in 27 and 22 joints, respectively. Rotation appeared as predominantly roll in 13 joints, whereas lateral bending was represented as predominantly yaw in 1 and as roll or pitch in all other joints. Significant correlations between yaw, pitch, and roll were observed at individual cervical joints in 97% of all measurements, with the atlanto-occipital joint showing complete (100%) correlation. Most non-significant correlations occurred at the C5-C6 joint, while C6-C7 exhibited significantly lower correlation coefficients compared to other levels. The overall movement of the head and neck is not replicated at individual cervical joint levels and should be considered when evaluating equine necks in vivo.
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Publication Date: 2025-08-01 PubMed ID: 40805049PubMed Central: PMC12345553DOI: 10.3390/ani15152259Google Scholar: Lookup
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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.

The research is focused on investigating the nature of motion in horse’s cervical (neck) joints and its relationship with various soft tissues, using post-mortem specimens. The study used bone-anchored markers to identify patterns in rotation, bending, flexion and extension of the neck and head, measured in yaw, pitch, and roll.

Methodology

  • The researchers conducted an ex vivo study using four post-mortem horse specimens with intact ligaments and other soft tissue structures. The specimens consisted of the head, neck, and the first portion of the torso, called the withers.
  • Bone-anchored markers were placed on the head and each cervical vertebrae up to the first thoracic vertebra of the horse’s spine. This allowed tracking and recording of three-dimensional movement.
  • The entire head and neck segment of the specimens were subjected to various movements such as rotation, lateral bending, flexion and extension. The objective here was to measure and characterize how these movements are expressed and interact at each individual vertebral joint.

Findings

  • Finding patterns in movements, the researchers were able to measure the yaw, pitch and roll angles in eight cervical joints under different movements. For instance, flexion and extension mainly resulted in changes to pitch in 27 and 22 joints respectively, whereas rotation was predominantly roll in 13 joints.
  • Lateral bending was mainly represented as yaw in one instance, but otherwise resulted in roll or pitch in all joints. This shows the complexity of movement at each vertebral joint.
  • Strong correlations were detected between yaw, pitch and roll at individual cervical joints, accounting for 97% of all measurements. The joint between the head and first cervical vertebra (atlanto-occipital joint) showed a complete correlation.
  • Some joints, however, did not follow this pattern. Most non-significant correlations were found at the joint between the 5th and 6th vertebrae, while the joint between the 6th and 7th vertebrae had noticeably lower correlation coefficients compared to other levels.

Implications

  • The findings from this study shed light on the complex movements occurring in the cervical joints of a horse. The influence of soft tissue structures on these movements was also noted, although the specifics of this influence remain unclear.
  • The detected variations in movement and correlations between cervical joints indicate that overall head and neck movement is not directly mirrored at individual cervical joint levels.
  • These insights into equine cervical joint motion and its variation across joints should be considered in live examination and treatment approaches for horses, as they indicate that a comprehensive understanding of movements at each vertebral joint level is required for accurate diagnosis and intervention.

Cite This Article

APA
Bosch K, Zsoldos RR, Hartig A, Licka T. (2025). Motion Coupling at the Cervical Vertebral Joints in the Horse-An Ex Vivo Study Using Bone-Anchored Markers. Animals (Basel), 15(15), 2259. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15152259

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 15
PII: 2259

Researcher Affiliations

Bosch, Katharina
  • Clinical Department for Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
Zsoldos, Rebeka R
  • Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 23422 Alnarp, Sweden.
  • School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia.
Hartig, Astrid
  • Clinical Department for Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
Licka, Theresia
  • Clinical Department for Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
  • Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, UK.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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