Diagnostic Application of Multirow Computed Tomography of the Hip Joint of Japanese Quails (Coturnix Japonica)

Abstract

The morphological assessment of selected parts of the hindlimb of Japanese quails (Temminck & Schlegel, 1849), with particular emphasis on hip joint structures, was performed, using a 128-row scanner (GE Optima Aquilion, Toshiba, Japan). Eight dead 3-month-old Japanese quails were evaluated. During intravital examination of those birds, no hindlimb abnormalities or locomotion disorders were detected. Bird body, which hip joints and other structures of hindlimbs were studied, was examined in posterioranterior position. The following hip joint structures, on both sides, were assessed in this study: hip joint gap width, acetabulum width, femoral head diameter, and femoral shaft width. The applied imaging method allowed accurate assessment of the selected structures. There was low variability between left and right hindlimbs and among individuals. Modern imaging techniques, such as multirow computed tomography (MCT) allows quick intravital assessment of normal and pathological structures of poultry bones and joints.

Polish Journal of Veterinary Sciences

“…Significant advances in vertebral column visualization and examination were made with the introduction of computed tomography (CT). The major advantages of this method include the possibility of obtaining cross-section images of the body for layers with a thickness of several millimeters, in which the cross-sections of specific organs are shown in accordance with their spatial distribution, as well as the possibility of obtaining a 3D image of the structure under examination on which further analysis can be performed (Paśko et al 2016, Pankowski et al 2018. Moreover, due to the higher sensitivity of the radiation sensor, compared to X-ray film, the CT technique offers greater contrast of the organ images (Thrall 2018).…”