Tierärztliche Praxis. Ausgabe G, Grosstiere/Nutztiere
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Tierarztl Prax Ausg G Grosstiere Nutztiere · Nov 1998
[Radiologic description of the growth plates of the atlas and axis in foals].
Fractures of the first two cervical vertebrae, atlas and axis, may occur in foals for different reasons, e.g. in cases of a fall, going head over heels or when being hit by a hoof. The tentative clinical diagnosis can be confirmed by x-raying the standing animal, with aid of computed tomography in the anaesthetized foal respectively. The growth plates however, and their time of closure have to be considered when interpreting radiographs. ⋯ They become clearly visible in transversal CT-scans and are ossified at the age of three to four months. At the end of the first year the growth plates between the dens axis and the cranial epiphysis have closed. The cranial and caudal epiphyseal plate are gone at an age of about four to five years.