Radiographic and Venographic Appearance of Healthy and Laminitic Feet in Amiata Donkeys.
Authors: Nocera Irene, Aliboni Benedetta, Ben David Liri, Gracia-Calvo Luis Alfonso, Sgorbini Micaela, Citi Simonetta
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Radiographic and Venographic Assessment of Laminitis in Amiata Donkeys Laminitis diagnosis and prognosis rely heavily on radiographic and venographic interpretation, yet reference standards have been poorly defined for donkey breeds outside horses, creating uncertainty about whether equine parameters apply across different donkey types. Nocera and colleagues evaluated 16 forefeet from 8 Amiata jennies using radiography and digital venography, stratifying feet as healthy (7/16), mildly laminitic (4/16), or severely laminitic (5/16) based on clinical and radiographic findings. Healthy donkey feet demonstrated significantly different dorsal angles, solar aspect angles, phalangeal rotation angles, and dorsal-wall deviations compared to laminitic feet (all p<0.01), whilst venograms revealed a progressive vascular picture: mild laminitis showed reduced or absent blood flow specifically at the lamellar-circumflex junction and sub-lamellar bed, whereas severe cases displayed widespread vascularisation loss including absent coronary plexus perfusion. For practitioners managing donkeys with suspected laminitis, these breed-specific radiographic parameters and the distinctive venographic patterns—particularly the early loss of lamellar vascularity in mild disease—offer improved diagnostic precision and prognostic insight beyond what equine reference ranges alone can provide, potentially allowing earlier intervention before irreversible changes establish.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Radiographic and venographic assessment provides diagnostic and prognostic support for donkey laminitis; reference values for Amiata donkeys cannot be assumed to match horse standards
- •Vascular compromise on venography correlates with laminitis severity; reduced vascularization at the lamellar-circumflex junction is an early finding in mild disease
- •These imaging techniques are clinically applicable tools for supporting laminitis diagnosis and monitoring disease progression in donkeys
Key Findings
- •Radiographic differences between healthy and laminitic Amiata donkey feet were significant for dorsal angle (p<0.0001), angle of solar aspect (p<0.0001), deviation of distal phalanx from hoof wall (p<0.0001), and phalangeal rotation angle (p=0.0032)
- •Venography revealed reduced or absent vascularization at lamellar-circumflex junction, sub-lamellar vascular bed, and circumflex veins in mild laminitic feet
- •Severe laminitic feet showed very poor or absent vascularization across multiple areas including absence of coronary plexus vascularization
- •Reference radiographic and venographic parameters were established for healthy Amiata donkey feet, differing from previously published horse data