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Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association2024; doi: 10.1111/vru.13420

Radiological abnormalities of the cervicothoracic vertebrae in Warmblood horses with primary neck-related clinical signs versus controls.

Abstract: Radiological observations at the cervicothoracic junction in horses with or without related clinical signs have not been comprehensively described. The aim was to evaluate the seventh cervical (C7) to second thoracic (T2) vertebrae in horses with neck-related clinical signs (neck pain and/or stiffness, neck-related forelimb lameness, or general proprioceptive [spinal] ataxia) and control horses. This prospective analytical cross-sectional study included 127 control horses and 96 cases, examined using standardized clinical and radiological protocols. Univariable logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to identify factors associated with radiological abnormalities. Severe modeling of the articular processes at C7-T1 was more likely in cases compared with controls, OR, 4.25; CI, 1.04-17.36; P = .04. Cases were more likely to have spondylolisthesis at C7-T1 than controls, OR, 3.61; CI, 1.75-7.44; P < .001. There was a lack of uniformity of disc space width at C6-C7, despite normal alignment of the vertebrae, in five (5.2%) cases and no control horses. Discospondylosis was seen in 9 (9.4%) horses at C7-T1 and 10 of 64 (15.6%) at T1-T2. The sagittal ratio for T1 was smaller for horses with neck-related forelimb lameness (P < .0002), neck pain/ stiffness (P = .04), or neurological cases (P < .001) than controls. The prevalence of radiological abnormalities at C7-T1 and T1-T2 highlights the importance of careful evaluation of the cervicothoracic junction in horses with neck-related signs.
© 2024 The Author(s). Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Radiology.
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Publication Date: 2024-08-19 PubMed ID: 39161192DOI: 10.1111/vru.13420Google 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 study investigates the presence of radiological abnormalities in the neck (the cervicothoracic junction) of Warmblood horse breeds with neck-related issues compared to those without. It was found that horses with neck pain, stiffness, forelimb lameness, or spinal ataxia were more likely to exhibit severe abnormalities in their vertebrae and abnormalities were most prevalent at the junction between the seventh cervical and first thoracic vertebrae and the junction of the first and second thoracic vertebrae.

Objective of the Study

  • The primary goal of this research was to examine the presence of radiological abnormalities in the vertebrae, specifically from the seventh cervical (C7) to the second thoracic (T2) vertebrae, in Warmblood horses. The focus was on horses exhibiting clinical signs related to the neck – neck pain and/or stiffness, forelimb lameness related to the neck, or general proprioceptive (spatial) ataxia – versus control horses that did not show these symptoms.

Methodology

  • The study included a sample size of 127 control horses and 96 cases – horses exhibiting clinical neck-related signs – and employed standardized clinical and radiological protocols for examination.
  • The researchers used univariable logistic regression to identify factors associated with radiological abnormalities, calculating the odds ratios (OR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI).

Key Findings

  • The study found that abnormal shaping of the articular processes at C7-T1 (the junction between the seventh cervical vertebra and the first thoracic vertebra) was more likely to be found in the case horses than in control horses.
  • Similarly, these cases were more likely to exhibit spondylolisthesis (forward slipping of one vertebra over another) at the C7-T1 junction than controls.
  • A lack of uniformity in the width of the disc space at C6-C7 (the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae), despite normal alignment of the vertebrae, was found only in the examined cases (5.2%) and not in control horses.
  • The sagittal ratio for T1 (first thoracic vertebra) was smaller for horses suffering from neck-related forelimb lameness, pain, and stiffness, or neurological issues than for control horses.

Conclusions

  • The study concluded that the presence of radiological abnormalities primarily at the transition zones C7-T1 and T1-T2 underscores the importance of thorough evaluation of the cervicothoracic junction in horses plagued with neck-related symptoms.

Cite This Article

APA
Dyson S, Quiney L, Phillips K, Zheng S, Aleman M. (2024). Radiological abnormalities of the cervicothoracic vertebrae in Warmblood horses with primary neck-related clinical signs versus controls. Vet Radiol Ultrasound. https://doi.org/10.1111/vru.13420

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

Researcher Affiliations

Dyson, Sue
  • Animal Health Trust, Kentford, Newmarket, UK.
  • Independent Consultant, The Cottage, Market Weston, UK.
Quiney, Laura
  • Animal Health Trust, Kentford, Newmarket, UK.
  • IMV Imaging Phoenix Crescent, Bellshill, Lanarkshire, UK.
Phillips, Kathryn
  • Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Zheng, Shichen
  • Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Aleman, Monica
  • Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA.

Grant Funding

  • Equine and Comparative Neurology Research Group
  • UCD #V435104 / Terry Holliday Equine and Comparative Neurology Endowed Presidential Chair

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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Strootmann T, Peter VG, Körner J. Radiographic Prevalence of Anatomical Variations of the Ventral Lamina of the Sixth Cervical Vertebra, C6/C7 Articular Process Joint Modelling and Competition Outcomes in Warmblood Sport Horses. Animals (Basel) 2026 Jan 29;16(3).
    doi: 10.3390/ani16030424pubmed: 41681407google scholar: lookup
  2. Boado A, Pollard D, Lopez-Sanroman FJ, Dyson S. Orthopaedic Injuries in 272 Dressage Horses: A Retrospective Study. Animals (Basel) 2025 Oct 14;15(20).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15202972pubmed: 41153899google scholar: lookup
  3. Dyson S, Phillips K, Zheng S, Aleman M. Congenital variants of the ventral laminae of the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae are not associated with clinical signs or other radiological abnormalities of the cervicothoracic region in Warmblood horses. Equine Vet J 2025 Mar;57(2):419-430.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.14127pubmed: 38938125google scholar: lookup
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