Movement associated reduction of spatial capacity of the equine cervical vertebral canal.
Abstract: Laterolateral radiographs of equine necks are reported to be inaccurate in determining the site of spinal cord lesions even when a myelogram is carried out. The goal of this study was to assess constrictions present in the cervical vertebral canal at any time point throughout the extremes of movement. Sixteen equine cervical vertebral columns without history of cervical disease were used. After removal of the spinal cord, the dura mater was filled with polyurethane foam and during its plastic phase the cervical vertebral column was passively moved in flexion-extension, lateral bending and 30° rotated flexion and extension. Resulting moulded foam structures were scanned with a 3D laser scanner. Functional narrowing of the vertebral canal was located in the dorsolateral or ventrolateral regions, explaining its under-representation on laterolateral radiographs.
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2011-09-14 PubMed ID: 21920786DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2011.08.011Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The researchers studied horse necks and found that traditional X-ray images may not accurately locate spinal cord lesions. The shape of the spinal canal, which houses the spinal cord, changes during various movements, which might explain this discrepancy.
Objective and Methodology
- The research was aimed to investigate the changes in the shape of the cervical vertebral canal, located within the neck of horses, during different types of movements. The goal was to understand why X-ray images (also called laterolateral radiographs) often fail to accurately pinpoint spinal cord lesions, even when they use a contrast medium known as a myelogram.
- The team collected 16 horse cervical vertebral columns that had no history of neck disease. After the spinal cord was removed, they filled the remaining dura mater, which is a protective layer surrounding the spinal cord, with polyurethane foam when it was in its plastic phase. They moved the vertebral column to mimic flexion-extension motions, lateral bending, and rotated flexion and extension at 30 degrees.
- Once the foam hardened and took the shape of the internal canal, they used a 3D laser scanner to scan the structure.
Findings
- The scans showed that the vertebral canal becomes narrower in the dorsolateral or ventrolateral regions during certain movements. Dorsolateral refers to the top side, and ventrolateral to the bottom side of the horse neck.
- This functional narrowing can explain why laterolateral radiographs, which typically capture a side view, might underrepresent the actual conditions of the vertebral canal. When the canal narrows during certain movements, this region could be missed or misinterpreted on radiographs.
Contributions
- This research advances our understanding of horse neck biomechanics. This can reinforce the diagnostic techniques used by veterinarians, particularly when evaluating symptoms that could be related to spinal cord lesions.
- Findings can potentially lead to improvements in radiographic diagnostic techniques, resulting in more accurate interpretations and diagnoses.
Cite This Article
APA
Schmidburg I, Pagger H, Zsoldos RR, Mehnen J, Peham C, Licka TF.
(2011).
Movement associated reduction of spatial capacity of the equine cervical vertebral canal.
Vet J, 192(3), 525-528.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2011.08.011 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Movement Science Group Vienna, Clinical Department of Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cadaver
- Cervical Vertebrae / anatomy & histology
- Horses / anatomy & histology
- Models, Anatomic
- Neck / physiology
- Spinal Canal / anatomy & histology
- Spinal Canal / physiology
- Stress, Mechanical
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Szklarz M, Lipinska A, Slowikowska M, Niedzwiedz A, Marycz K, Janeczek M. Comparison of the clinical and radiographic appearance of the cervical vertebrae with histological and anatomical findings in an eight-month old warmblood stallion suffering from cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (CVSM). BMC Vet Res 2019 Aug 15;15(1):296.
- Yang R, Ma M, Huang L, Ye J, Tang Y, Wang P, Yin D, Chen K, Li W, Shen H. Influences of different lower cervical bone graft heights on the size of the intervertebral foramen: multiple planar dynamic measurements with laser scanning. Lasers Med Sci 2018 Apr;33(3):627-635.
- Bosch K, Zsoldos RR, Hartig A, Licka T. Motion Coupling at the Cervical Vertebral Joints in the Horse-An Ex Vivo Study Using Bone-Anchored Markers. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 1;15(15).
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