Thomason J J, Douglas J E, Sears W
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.
Cells Tissues Organs. 2001;168(4):295-311. doi: 10.1159/000047846.
The purpose was to investigate whether differences in equine hoof shape, which are inferred to alter foot function, are accompanied by differences in morphology of the laminar junction. Ten fore feet from adult horses were segregated into normal and low-angle groups, depending on the dorsal angle of the hoof wall. Twenty measurements of external hoof shape and four of the enclosed distal phalanx were tested for differences between groups, and for intragroup correlations. Three measurements of laminar morphology (spacing, orientation and degree of bend) were recorded for samples of up to 50 primary epidermal laminae at each of 20 sample sites. Sites were distributed over the foot in 5 circumferential columns and 4 proximodistal rows. Intergroup differences were investigated, as were correlations among sample sites of the laminar variables with the shape measurements. Results show differences in hoof shape between groups (but not bone shape) and laminar morphology. Six shape measurements are significantly different between groups: dorsal angle, medial and lateral angles, lateral sole width, solar circumference, and dorsal length. In the normal group, shape measurements show patterns of correlation among regions of the hoof, and between hoof and bone measurements. In the low-angle group, shape correlations occur largely within one region of the hoof (the heels) and in the bone measurements. Laminar spacing tends to be nonsignificantly greater in the low-angle group, while variances for laminar spacing and orientation are significantly greater in this group. Laminar spacing correlates with bone width and coronary circumference (CC) of the hoof in the normal group, but only with CC in the low-angle group. When taken as a whole, and interpreted in light of a model of foot mechanical function, the results appear to indicate a deterioration in structural coherence of the foot in the low-angle group.
本研究旨在调查马的蹄形差异（据推测会改变足部功能）是否伴随着蹄叶结合部形态的差异。根据蹄壁背侧角度，将十只成年马的前蹄分为正常组和低角度组。对两组之间的二十项外部蹄形测量值和四项封闭的远节指骨测量值进行差异测试以及组内相关性测试。在20个采样点的每个点，对多达50个初级表皮蹄叶样本记录三项蹄叶形态测量值（间距、方向和弯曲程度）。采样点分布在蹄部的5个圆周列和4个近远中排。研究了组间差异以及蹄叶变量采样点与形状测量值之间的相关性。结果显示两组之间蹄形（而非骨形）和蹄叶形态存在差异。两组之间六项形状测量值存在显著差异：背侧角度、内侧和外侧角度、外侧蹄底宽度、蹄底周长和背侧长度。在正常组中，形状测量值显示了蹄部各区域之间以及蹄部与骨骼测量值之间的相关模式。在低角度组中，形状相关性主要出现在蹄部的一个区域（后跟）内以及骨骼测量值中。低角度组的蹄叶间距往往略大但不显著，而该组中蹄叶间距和方向的方差显著更大。在正常组中，蹄叶间距与蹄部的骨宽度和冠状周长（CC）相关，但在低角度组中仅与CC相关。总体而言，并根据足部机械功能模型进行解释，结果似乎表明低角度组足部的结构连贯性有所下降。
