Comparative morphology of the pectinate ligaments of domestic mammals, as observed under the dissecting microscope and the scanning electron microscope.

The pectinate ligaments of ten horses, two donkeys, five oxen, five sheep, ten goats, five dogs, five cats, thirty pigs and two rabbits were studied under the stereomicroscope and the scanning electron microscope. In the horse and the donkey, the pectinate ligament was very prominent and was characterized by sturdy interconnected strands and relatively small intertrabecular spaces. The pectinate ligaments of ruminants were composed of shorter strands, separated by relatively larger spaces. Fusion between adjacent strands, resulting in the formation of fenestrated sheets, was regularly observed in these species, in particular in the superior and inferior ocular segments. In the dog and the cat, the pectinate ligament consisted of slender strands that were separated by large intertrabecular spaces. The strands of the pectinate ligaments of the pig and the rabbit were shorter and their diameters were intermediate between those of the herbivores and the carnivores. The clinical relevance of the normal variability in the structure of the pectinate ligament and proposals for a uniform anatomical nomenclature are discussed.