Changes in aspects of hoof and distal limb conformation in foals by radiographic evaluation

Abstract

This study investigated age-related radiographic changes in the distal parts of the forelimbs by radiographic evaluation and identified the radiographic changes associated with diseases specific to foals. The hoof angle (HA), distal phalanx angle (P3A), distal phalanx palmer angle (P3PA), distal interphalangeal joint angle (DIPJA), and metacarpophalangeal joint angle (MPJA) on lateromedial radiographs of forelimbs were measured on the day after birth (Day 1); at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age; and then at monthly intervals until 12 months of age. HA and P3A significantly increased from 1 day to 4 weeks and 4 weeks to 3 months of age. The P3PA increased dramatically from 1 day to 1 week, 1 week to 2 weeks, and 2 weeks to 8 weeks of age, and then decreased after 3 months of age. DIPJA significantly decreased from 1 day to 2 weeks of age before increasing from 3 to 5 months of age. MPJA increased with age until 4 weeks, slightly decreased from 2 to 4 months of age, and then gradually decreased from 4 to 6 months of age. The findings indicate that foals’ forelimbs typically show flexion of the fetlock and a broken backward hoof–pastern axis just after birth, an upright fetlock until 4 months of age, and a change to a mature conformation after 6 months of age. Physiological variants were correlated with the occurrence of common foal diseases during the radiographic evaluation periods.