Late radiological closure of the distal radial growth plate in Argentine Criollo horses

Abstract

The Criollo horse is a strong animal, with over 400 years of natural selection by wildlife in Argentina. There is a long established belief among breeders that the horse becomes skeletally mature at 5 to 6 years of age, however this is not based on scientific evidence, and it is therefore possible that errors in handling resulting from this belief may have implications in horse health and production economy. The aim of this study was to identify the exact time of radiological closure of the distal radial growth plate of the Criollo horse. Craniocaudal projections of the distal radius were taken to 50 Criollo horses aged between 18 and 69 months. The radiographic image of the epiphysis was classified as A (fully closed), B (closing) and C (fully open). The study demonstrated the cartilage were in category A at 53 ± 3.2 months, in the B at 44 ± 2.7 months and the C at 29± 2.4 months. These preliminary results reinforce the hypothesis that the growth plate of distal radius in the Criollo horse has a later closure compared to that previously studied in other breeds. Consequently, additional investigation is required to identify the closure time of other physis of the distal limb to allow appropriate management practices to be established and avoid limb deformities.