New insights into the horse stifle joint through 3D computed tomography, scanning electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x-ray analysis

Alsafy, Mohamed A. M. (author), El-Garhy, Ahmed K. S. (author), Abo-Ghanima, Ismail (author), Nomir, Ahmed G (author), El-Gendy, Samir A. A. (author)

The study design was prospective and descriptive of the horse stifle joint using CT, sectional anatomy, SEM, and EDX analysis. The 3D rendered-volume reconstruction CT of the horse's stifle joint allows good visualization of the large and small bony structures and ligaments, or menisci. In addition to the sagittal CT section and subsequent CT bone window cross sections, which provided detailed images of bone structures, ligaments, and muscles, the sectional CT was matched with cross and sagittal anatomical sections. The horse's stifle joint is described using SEM and EDX analysis. The synovial membrane had varied synovial villi in length and shape: long and short tongue shapes with different tip shapes and dome-shaped, in addition to single or branched folds. The scratched surface revealed a network of collagen fibers arranged in various directions, layers, and deep synoviocytes. SEM-EDX Spectra identified the following items in the stifle joint's meniscus and ligaments: The sample contained carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, calcium, and phosphorus, with selenium replaced by sulfur at the meniscus. Four specimens were examined to determine their carbon and oxygen percentages. Calcium and phosphorus levels were measured, with the highest concentrations in the meniscus and the lowest in the collateral and patellar ligaments. The percentage of sulfur was determined, and ligaments had a higher percentage than menisci, particularly at the cruciate ligaments, whereas menisci contained silicon. Knowledge of the stifle joint's macro- and microscopic normal anatomy obtained through 3D CT, SEM, and EDX is a good guide and reference for determining the horse stifle's bony and soft tissue structures and microstructures, as well as the chemical structure of the synovial membrane, ligaments, and menisci.

• Language: English
• Keywords: horse, stifle, 3D CT, sectional anatomy, SEM-EDX
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: VF - Veterinary Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2025
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 157-168
• Numbering: Vol. 62, iss. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-185476
• UDC: 599.723.12:57.082.14:616.728:591.476:543.442
• ISSN on article: 2385-8761
• DOI: 10.26873/SVR-2205-2025
• COBISS.SI-ID: 285524739
• Publication date in RUL: 06.08.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Slovenian veterinary research
• Publisher: Veterinarska fakulteta, Veterinarska fakulteta, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2385-8761
• COBISS.SI-ID: 275836160

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Nova spoznanja o konjskem kolenskem sklepu s pomočjo 3D-računalniške tomografije, vrstične elektronske mikroskopije ter vrstične elektronske mikroskopije in energijsko disperzijske rentgenske analize