Morphologic and radiological studies on the distal interphalangeal joint and of the navicular bursa in equine (Equus caballus, L., 1758)

Abstract

It was aimed in this study to verify radiographically and morphologically the communication existence between the bursa of the bone navicular (BN) and the distal interphalangeal joint (AID), establishing its frequency, its form and identifying the anatomical structures involved in the process. For so much, thoracic and pelvic members of 16 alive animals were used, being 8 young animals and 8 adult animals. Iodized contrast was injected in BN of the right members and in AID of the left members; soon afterwards it was obtained x-rays in projections lateromedial or middlelateral, dorsopalmar or dorsoplantar, for the verification of possible communication between the structures in subject that, together with the involved places, they would be identified through the dissection technique later. Communications were not observed among the structures in subject, however, in two thoracic members, morphologic variations were verified in the lateral extremities of BN, characterized by projections that extended until the third proximal of the medium phalange, being more pronounced in the lateral face than in the medial.