The arterial supply of the navicular bone in the normal horse.
Authors: Rijkenhuizen, Nemeth, Dik, Goedegebuure
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Understanding the vascular architecture of the navicular bone is fundamental to interpreting pathological changes in navicular disease, yet this 1990 anatomical study provides one of the most detailed accounts available. Rijkenhuizen and colleagues performed arteriographic imaging and histological examination of 35 navicular bones from 19 clinically normal horses to map the arterial supply patterns across the bone's surface. The research revealed that blood reaches the navicular bone from four distinct directions—distal, proximal, medial, and lateral—with the distal supply dominating, entering primarily through the nutrient foramen; notably, at least 77% of these nutrient foramina contained synovial membrane, suggesting a potential pathway for pressure-related ischaemia if perfusion is compromised. Intriguingly, even in healthy bones, 12% of arteries displayed histological abnormalities including intimal thickening and medial hypertrophy, indicating that some vascular remodelling is normal. For farriers, vets and physiotherapists managing navicular cases, this baseline anatomy underscores why distal compression injuries, abnormal loading patterns and synovial pressure changes carry significant clinical weight—and why interventions targeting blood flow restoration or pressure reduction may be particularly relevant to disease prevention and management.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Understanding navicular bone vascularization patterns is essential for recognizing how compromised blood supply may contribute to navicular disease pathology
- •The presence of synovial membrane in most nutrient foramina suggests potential routes for synovial fluid access into bone, relevant to disease mechanisms
- •Degenerative arterial changes observed in clinically normal horses indicate that vascular remodeling occurs naturally and may represent early adaptive or degenerative processes
Key Findings
- •Navicular bone receives arterial supply from four directions: distal, proximal, medial, and lateral, with distal supply covering the largest area
- •At least 77% of nutrient foramina contain synovial membrane alongside vessels and nerves
- •12% of arteries in navicular bone show histological changes including intimal thickening, internal elastic membrane splitting, and media hypertrophy