Vascular characteristics of the cartilage and subchondral bone of the distal radial epiphysis of the young foal

Abstract

The vascular features of the distal epiphysis of the radius of 27 foals aged from 3 weeks premature to 120 days post partum were determined. The limbs were perfused with barium, and the distal radius was sawn into sagittal slabs which were 'decalcified, cut into thin slices and radiographed. More arteries approached areas of thick cartilage than thin cartilage. In thick cartilage, vessels in a lattice network were observed, and adjacent to these vessels was sinusoidal filling in the epiphyseal subchondral bone, which had a similar pattern to sinusoidal filling in the metaphysis. The sinusoidal filling adjacent to thick cartilage was at the predisposition site for epiphyseal osteomyelitis lesions in foals. This particular type of bone infection occurs commonly in the foal, but much less commonly in other species. The vascular features of the immature epiphysis may account for the predominance of epiphyseal osteomyelitis in the foal.