Morphological importance of coronary ostia in equine

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Anatomy
• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Equine Morphology

Background:

• Understanding coronary ostia position is crucial for equine cardiovascular health.
• Variations in ostia placement can impact coronary artery perfusion.
• Previous research has not fully detailed the morphometric relationships in young adult horses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and digitally analyze the morphometric relationships between coronary ostia and aortic valvar elements in young adult crossbred horses.
• To establish the typical positional disposition of the left and right coronary ostia relative to aortic valve commissures and the intercommissural line.
• To correlate ostia position with coronary artery perfusion patterns during the cardiac cycle.

Main Methods:

• Sampled 70 aorta segments from young adult crossbred horses.
• Fixed specimens with buffered aqueous formaldehyde solution and dissected the aortic bulb.
• Digitally analyzed morphometric relationships using Image-Pro Plus® software.

Main Results:

• The left coronary ostium consistently positioned near the right valvular commissure (100%).
• The right coronary ostium showed variability, located near the left (58.6%) or right (41.4%) commissure.
• Accessory coronary ostia were identified in 8.6% of specimens.

Conclusions:

• Equine coronary ostia positions exhibit a tendency towards a standard morphological disposition.
• Ostia positioning influences coronary artery perfusion, with implications for ventricular systole and diastole.
• Findings provide a basis for understanding equine cardiac hemodynamics and potential pathologies.