There are many reports describing fractures in the bony elements of the equine fetlock joint and a few of these discuss possible relationships of these fractures to the mechanical loading of these bones. The likelihood of fracture must be related to the size and shape of bones involved, but information concerning the normal range in size and shape of these bones in horses is lacking. This study aimed to identify morphometrical variations of these bones within different groups of horses. Right and left metacarpal, proximal phalangeal and proximal sesamoid bones were collected from 10 Thoroughbreds (TB), five Standardbreds (SB) and eight Ponies (P) euthanized for non-orthopaedic reasons. All bones were boiled, cleaned and dried. Dimensional parameters were measured using a custom-built apparatus, calliper and plastic tape. The width and depth of the medial condyles of Mc3 were greater than the lateral condyles in all groups. The length to the lateral condyle was greater than the length to the medial condyle of Mc3, and the lengths of the lateral sides of the Mc3 and P1 bones were greater than the lengths of the medial sides in both forelimbs of all groups. The lateral sesamoids were similar to, or larger than, the medial sesamoids in all dimensions. There were some morphometrical variations in the bony elements of the equine fetlock joints in all groups.
Abdulrhman Mohamed Salah Alrtib, C J Philip, Aiman Hussein Saleh Oheida, Helen M S Davies(4-2012)

Aims: The aim of the study was to characterize a spirochaete isolated from thelesions of a cow with digital dermatitis (DD).Methods and Results: The characterization was on the basis of its light andelectron microscopic appearance, enzymic profile and DNA sequence analysisof its flagellin and 16S rRNA genes. The spirochaete was 6–8-lm long and 0Æ2–0Æ3 lm in diameter, and possessed seven to eight periplasmic flagella, withthree to five helical turns. The enzymic profile of the bacterium resembles, butis not identical to that of Treponema brennaborense. Its flagellin gene sequencewas identical to that of Treponema phagedenis but distinct from that of anovine spirochaete. Analysis of a 1477-bp region of the 16S rRNA genes indica-ted that this is a Treponema species and that it is indistinguishable from someisolates made from cases of bovine DD in the United States. Finally, electronmicroscopy revealed the presence of myovirus-like bacteriophage particles in allcultures of the treponeme examined.Conclusions: The spirochaete isolate was identified as a Treponema species clo-sely related to some isolates from the United States (by 16S rDNA) and to T.phagedenis (by flagellin gene sequence) and is associated with bacteriophageparticles.Significance and Impact of the Study: The fact that the isolates with the sameor very similar 16S rDNA sequences have been obtained from cases of bovineDD in cattle in different countries at different times, lends further support tothe hypothesis that treponemes play a role in the pathogenesis of this disease arabic 10 English 72
Abdulgader Dhawi Alfitouri Dhawi(1-2021)

major histocompatibility complex (MHC) arabic 15 English 96
Marwan Draid(7-2013)