Description
- Abstract:
- Objective: Osteoarthritis (OA) in the wrist can greatly decrease quality of life and is characterized by the degradation of soft tissues and the growth of osteophytes. Currently, there is a lack of viable treatment options for OA of the wrist compared to larger joints like the hip and knee. This is due in part to the lack of an established preclinical large animal model for the human wrist. Here, we conduct a holistic investigation into the carpal anatomy of the Yucatan minipig (YMP) to aid decisions about its viability as an animal model for wrist therapeutics. Methods: Microcomputed tomography (µCT) and clinical computed tomography (CT) scans of the YMP carpal bones were used to measure and compare individual carpal bones within the YMP carpus to existing data on human carpal bones. Articular cartilage surface area and thickness were compared across YMP specimens and to human data. We conducted detailed dissections of the tendon and ligament anatomy of the YMP, focusing on analogues important to human carpal stability. Results: YMP carpal bones were generally smaller in volume and surface area from human carpal bones. YMP carpal bones also differed from their human analogues in normalized volume, or the volume of the bone divided by the volume of the entire carpus. We found two specimens with abnormal carpal anatomy in which the first and second carpal bones were fused. Average articular cartilage thickness in the YMP radial carpal bone was 0.3 ± 14mm, markedly thinner than its human analogue, the scaphoid, at 0.8 ± 0.2mm. Flexor tendon anatomy had functional similarities to human anatomy, which was consistent with existing literature. Conclusions: We found notable differences in carpal bone size and scaling, articular cartilage thickness and digital extensor tendon anatomy. Our anatomical findings may provide foundational information for other work seeking to use or considering the YMP as a preclinical animal model for carpal joint replacement and therapeutics.
- Notes:
- Thesis (Sc. M.)--Brown University, 2024
Citation
Sordilla, Sophia Lynn,
"Skeletal Anatomy in the Yucatan Minipig Carpus"
(2024).
Biology and Medicine Theses and Dissertations, Biotechnology.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:z53j7wtq/
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Biology and Medicine Theses and Dissertations
Theses and Dissertations for the Biology and Medicine department....