Scientists create atlas of the Arabian horse skull

 November 21, 2021  

A side view of a three-dimensional reconstruction of the skull and mandible in the Arabian horse used for measuring the size and shape of certain elements

1: Mental foramen to the caudal border of the mandibular ramus,

2: mental foramen to the ventral border of the mandibular body,

3: mental foramen to the most lateral incisive tooth,

4: mental foramen to the first premolar tooth,

5: bar length,

6: the distance between the infraorbital foramen and facial crest,

7: the distance between the infraorbital foramen to alveolar tooth,

8: the distance between the infraorbital foramen and first upper premolar tooth.

Image: Goodarzi et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.618

Using CT scans, researchers have created a comprehensive anatomical atlas of the skull of the Arabian horse.

Their atlas is based on scans of 10 horses, all of whom had been euthanized for reasons unrelated to the study.

The work by Nader Goodarzi, Omid Zehtabvar and Mohsen Tohidifar, reported in the journal Veterinary Medicine and Science, also produced a series of photographic cross-sections of the skulls, which were carefully coupled to associated CT images.

The work enabled the trio to measure the volume and shape of the paranasal sinuses, and learn more about the cranial nerves in the adult Arabian horse.

The different structures in the nasal, oral and cranial cavities were determined and labelled in the anatomical sections and their corresponding CT scan images.

They said their work provides detailed information about the anatomy of the head in the Arabian horse.

The obtained data may be useful and applicable for making more precise diagnosis of head lesions, and blocking the surface terminal branches of the cranial nerves during surgical operations, they said.

Goodarzi and Tohidifar are with Razi University in Iran, and Zehtabvar is with the University of Tehran.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/vms3.618