Osseous pathologic changes in the thoracic region of the equine vertebral column: A descriptive post-mortem study in three breeds.

Authors: Spoormakers Tijn J P, Veraa Stefanie, Graat Elisabeth A M, van Weeren P René, Brommer Harold

Journal: Equine veterinary journal

DOI: 10.1111/evj.14429 PubMed: 39433426Log in to save

Summary

# Thoracic Vertebral Pathology in Three Horse Breeds: Key Findings from a Post-Mortem Study Whilst thoracic vertebral disease has been well characterised in Thoroughbreds, little is known about how pathological changes present across other breeds. Researchers used computed tomography to examine the thoracic spines of 80 horses across three breeds (34 Warmbloods, 28 Shetland ponies and 18 Konik horses), scoring for osteoarthritis, joint osteolysis, intervertebral disc mineralisation, spinous process impingement and other osseous lesions. Distinct breed predispositions emerged: Warmbloods showed the highest overall osteoarthritis prevalence at 45% and were uniquely susceptible to spinous process impingement (11.2%), whilst Konik horses demonstrated significant intervertebral disc mineralisation (20%), which increased markedly with age; Shetland ponies presented a striking 98% prevalence of articular process aplasia yet remained largely spared from other degenerative changes. Costotransverse joint pathology dominated across all breeds, proving far more prevalent than articular process disease. These findings suggest breed-specific screening protocols and targeted preventative strategies may be warranted, particularly for Warmbloods prone to dorsal midline pathology and Konik horses at risk of progressive intervertebral disc change with advancing age.

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Practical Takeaways

•Warmblood horses require closer monitoring for degenerative thoracic vertebral conditions including osteoarthritis and spinous process problems, particularly in mid-thoracic regions
•Konik horses show breed-predisposition to intervertebral disc mineralisation that worsens with age—consider this in lameness investigations and imaging protocols for older animals
•Shetland ponies, despite high articular process aplasia, show remarkable resistance to soft tissue mineralisation and osteolysis, suggesting potential genetic protective factors worth investigating for other breeds

Key Findings

•Warmblood horses showed highest prevalence of osteoarthritis (45%) and spinous process impingement (11.2%) across thoracic vertebral joints
•Konik horses demonstrated significantly higher intervertebral disc mineralisation (20%) compared to Warmbloods (4.5%) and Shetland ponies (1.1%), increasing notably with age
•Shetland ponies exhibited 98% prevalence of articular process joint aplasia (58/59 individuals) but minimal periarticular osteolysis and soft tissue mineralisation
•Costotransverse joint pathology was more prevalent than articular process joint pathology across all three breeds, with highest osteoarthritis and osteolysis occurrence at this location

Conditions Studied

osteoarthritis of thoracic vertebral jointsperiarticular osteolysisosseous cyst-like lesionsarticular process joint aplasiaintervertebral disc mineralisationspinous process impingementspondylosissoft tissue mineralisation

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