Microstructural properties of the proximal sesamoid bones of Thoroughbred racehorses in training

Abstract

Background: Proximal sesamoid bone fractures are common catastrophic injuries in racehorses. Understanding the response of proximal sesamoid bones to race training can inform fracture prevention strategies. Objectives: To describe proximal sesamoid bone microstructure of racehorses and to investigate the associations between microstructure and racing histories. Study design: Cross-sectional. Methods: Proximal sesamoid bones from 63 Thoroughbred racehorses were imaged using micro-computed tomography. Bone volume fraction (BVTV) and bone material density (BMD) of the whole bone and four regions (apical, midbody dorsal, midbody palmar and basilar) were determined. Generalised linear regression ..