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Animals
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Anatomical Variations in Equine Veterinary Medicine
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Anatomical Variations in Equine Veterinary Medicine

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Equids".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (16 April 2023) | Viewed by 18113

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sharon May-Davis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Honorary Associate, Department of Animal Science, University of New England, Armidale, Australia
Interests: equine musculoskeletal anatomy; congenital malformations; evolution; limiting factors to athletic performance, health, and welfare
Dr. Francesca Beccati

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
Interests: equine - cervical anatomy; congenital malformations; diagnostic protocols; lameness; neurological cases; poor performance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since domestication, Equus caballus has undergone significant phenotypic and genetic modifications. However, after the industrial revolution, its primary role changed from work-related activities to equestrian sports, and to meet the rising demand, artificial selection intensified. At first, purpose-bred traits were deemed advantageous, yet recent studies identified an increase in coinciding deleterious mutations and variants. Now, anatomical variations challenge the equine industry and often come at a financial and emotional cost to breeders, owners, and trainers.

Whether congenital or the result of repetitive strain under a biomechanical load, anatomical variations can individually or collectively contribute to factors limiting athletic performance, health, and welfare. Consequently, researchers are under constant pressure to identify such factors, and for the equine practitioner, assessment and diagnosis is reliant on evidence-based science to facilitate the identification of causal factors. Thus, without a complete understanding of specific anatomy and its variants, effective diagnostic protocols, the identification of associative ramifications, and the implementation of suitable treatment or management programs are fraught with limitations.

The aim of this Special Issue is to identify recent advances in anatomical variations within E. caballus, and the submission of original research, literature reviews, and case reports in the areas of interest is welcome. These include morphological presentations and associative descriptions, symptomatic behaviour, clinical relevance, and diagnostic protocols. 

Dr. Sharon May-Davis
Dr. Francesca Beccati
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • equine anatomy and variations
  • congenital malformations
  • diagnostic protocols
  • poor performance
  • lameness
  • repetitive strain
  • impacts of biomechanical load

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1221 KiB  
Article
Morphology of the Ventral Process of the Sixth Cervical Vertebra in Extinct and Extant Equus: Functional Implications
by Sharon May-Davis, Robert Hunter and Richard White
Animals 2023, 13(10), 1672; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13101672 - 17 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 8386
Abstract
In this study, we examined the ventral process of C6 in extinct and extant Equus (sister taxa to Equus ferus caballus only) with the purpose of describing normal morphology and identifying anomalous variations relevant to recent studies describing a congenital malformation in E. [...] Read more.
In this study, we examined the ventral process of C6 in extinct and extant Equus (sister taxa to Equus ferus caballus only) with the purpose of describing normal morphology and identifying anomalous variations relevant to recent studies describing a congenital malformation in E. ferus caballus. Overall, 83 specimens from 9 museums and 3 research/educational facilities were examined, totalling 71 extinct specimens from 12 species and 12 extant specimens from 5 species. The lateral view revealed that a large convexity exists in the ventral process between the cranial ventral tubercle (CrVT) and the caudal ventral tubercle (CVT) in the earliest ancestor, Hyracotherium grangeri, from 55 mya, which receded throughout the millennia to become a smaller convexity in E. ferus caballus and the sister taxa. The CrVT is visibly shorter and narrower than the CVT, with a constricted section directly ventral to the transverse process, essentially demarcating the CrVT and CVT. No congenital malformations were evident. As the ventral process of C6 is an integral component for muscle attachment in supporting the head/neck during posture and locomotion, this would indicate that the caudal module in the cervical column might be compromised when a partial or complete absence of the CVT is detected via radiographs in modern E. ferus caballus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anatomical Variations in Equine Veterinary Medicine)
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16 pages, 2937 KiB  
Article
Post-Mortem Computed Tomographic Features of the Most Caudal Lumbar Vertebrae, Anatomical Variations and Acquired Osseous Pathological Changes, in a Mixed Population of Horses
by Nicola Scilimati, Giovanni Angeli, Antonio Di Meo, Cecilia Dall’Aglio, Marco Pepe and Francesca Beccati
Animals 2023, 13(4), 743; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13040743 - 19 Feb 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2278
Abstract
The radiographic, ultrasonographic, and scintigraphic findings of horses with thoracolumbosacral pain have been previously reported. In this study, the computed tomographic appearance of anatomical variations and pathological changes of the equine caudal lumbar region through a post-mortem examination were investigated. A total of [...] Read more.
The radiographic, ultrasonographic, and scintigraphic findings of horses with thoracolumbosacral pain have been previously reported. In this study, the computed tomographic appearance of anatomical variations and pathological changes of the equine caudal lumbar region through a post-mortem examination were investigated. A total of 40 horses that had died or were submitted for euthanasia, for reasons unrelated to the study, were included in the study. From all the specimens, the modified vertebral system was adopted to evaluate and describe the four most caudal lumbar vertebrae, which were numbered from a caudal reference point (lumbosacral junction), with the segment number designated within parentheses (i.e., L(i)-L(iv)). Contact of the spinous processes was detected in 21 specimens (54%) and fusion in 6 specimens (15%). Lumbar spondylosis was seen in 17 specimens (42.5%), more commonly on the lateral aspect or on both ventral and lateral aspects in 12 specimens (71%). The presence of spondylosis was found more commonly in older horses (p < 0.001). There was no difference in bony density in specimens with spondylosis or spinous processes contact compared to specimens without. The highest prevalence of bony changes was found at L(ii)-L(i) intertransverse joints in 28 specimens (97%) on the left and in 22 specimens (96%) on the right side. Spondylolisthesis and partial fusion of the L(ii)-L(i) vertebral disc were found in association with degenerative pathologies. This study showed a high frequency of several anatomical variations and acquired osseous pathological changes in the most caudal lumbar vertebrae via a CT examination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anatomical Variations in Equine Veterinary Medicine)
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9 pages, 827 KiB  
Communication
Would the Cephalic Development in the Purebred Arabian Horse and Its Crosses Indicate a Paedomorphic Process?
by Arcesio Salamanca-Carreño, Pere M. Parés-Casanova, Néstor Ismael Monroy-Ochoa and Mauricio Vélez-Terranova
Animals 2022, 12(22), 3168; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12223168 - 16 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1747
Abstract
This study examined paedomorphosis in PAH and F1 crossbreds. A sample of 99 horses was selected from 40 different breeders and consisted of three groups: stallions (n = 16), mares (n = 53), and geldings (n = 30), ranging from [...] Read more.
This study examined paedomorphosis in PAH and F1 crossbreds. A sample of 99 horses was selected from 40 different breeders and consisted of three groups: stallions (n = 16), mares (n = 53), and geldings (n = 30), ranging from 10 months to 27 years in age. All horses presented a concave celloid lateral left head profile in the acquired photographic images. The hypothesis proposed in this study suggested the lateral profile of the head in juveniles was representational in the adult form due to the neonate’s facial bones (part of the splanchnocranium) developing at a different rate to those of the skull. The methodology utilized geometric morphometrics to identify 23 landmarks so as to identify profile curvature indicative between the three groups (stallions, mares, and geldings). Principal component analysis reduced the number of variables to 14 examinable landmarks. Using a two-NPMANOVA and multivariate regression test, it was demonstrated that an isometric relationship between the concave celloid profile in the juvenile and its adult counterpart existed. This result supported the hypothesis that PAH and F1 crossbreds expressed a paedomorphic trait due to the adult form retaining the concave celloid profile identified in the juvenile. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anatomical Variations in Equine Veterinary Medicine)
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