Biomechanical, anatomy based model of the equine back

The popularity of equestrianism and riding is the main reason for back problems in the modern horse. Diagnosis of equine back pain and diseases of the spine are significant problems in veterinary orthopaedics. Commonly, veterinarians are confronted with secondary or tertiary symptoms, which are the result of a long process of overloading in the back. Identifying the original problem is an essential but often very difficult task, if the back is to regain its physiological function. One important source of pain is the dysfunction of the musculo-skeletal system, whose biomechanical functioning or dysfunctioning is difficult to explore with modern diagnostic means such as radiology, sonography, or scintigraphy. One way to circumvent the difficulty in investigating the interior dynamics of motion in vivo is to design a corresponding mathematical model and to test this model in a dynamic simulation environment in a way similar to Virtual Prototyping in the automotive industry. The aim of this project is to develop a realistic three-dimensional biomechanical model of the equine back based on real anatomy to study the dynamic behaviour of individual spines with the highest possible realism. To achieve this, CT and MRI scans of the spines of horses will be converted into three dimensional mesh models. This model will be based on the actual anatomy of the spine and include vertebrae, muscles, tendons and ligaments. This 3D representation will then be transformed into a dynamic systems model and its biomechanical behaviour will be explored in dynamic simulations under defined loading conditions. Such models of parts of the human spine have already been successfully designed from MRI data and have proven their usefulness in estimating interior forces, stresses and strains. With the proposed CT and MRI based model of the back, we will be able to show the forces, torques and loads acting on the different structures of the equine back and identify their locations and peak concentrations, allowing new insights into the different pathogeneses of chronic equine back pain. Surface reconstructions of CT or MRI scans are common practice in radiography. This new method extends the principle of `from form to function` by not only reconstructing the three-dimensional shape of organs, but also by reconstructing its entire biomechanical structure. This innovative method will greatly extend the diagnostic capability of our radiographic facilities and, once established, be easily adapted to simulate other body parts or even other species. Such a model would also be an invaluable tool in medical education.

The popularity of equestrianism and riding is the main reason for back problems in the modern horse. Diagnosis of equine back pain and diseases of the spine are significant problems in veterinary orthopaedics. Commonly, veterinarians are confronted with secondary or tertiary symptoms, which are the result of a long process of overloading in the back. Identifying the original problem is an essential but often very difficult task, if the back is to regain its physiological function. One important source of pain is the dysfunction of the musculo-skeletal system, whose biomechanical functioning or dysfunctioning is difficult to explore with modern diagnostic means such as radiology, sonography, or scintigraphy. One way to circumvent the difficulty in investigating the interior dynamics of motion in vivo is to design a corresponding mathematical model and to test this model in a dynamic simulation environment in a way similar to Virtual Prototyping in the automotive industry. The aim of this project is to develop a realistic three-dimensional biomechanical model of the equine back based on real anatomy to study the dynamic behaviour of individual spines with the highest possible realism. To achieve this, CT and MRI scans of the spines of horses will be converted into three dimensional mesh models. This model will be based on the actual anatomy of the spine and include vertebrae, muscles, tendons and ligaments. This 3D representation will then be transformed into a dynamic systems model and its biomechanical behaviour will be explored in dynamic simulations under defined loading conditions. Such models of parts of the human spine have already been successfully designed from MRI data and have proven their usefulness in estimating interior forces, stresses and strains. With the proposed CT and MRI based model of the back, we will be able to show the forces, torques and loads acting on the different structures of the equine back and identify their locations and peak concentrations, allowing new insights into the different pathogeneses of chronic equine back pain. Surface reconstructions of CT or MRI scans are common practice in radiography. This new method extends the principle of `from form to function` by not only reconstructing the three-dimensional shape of organs, but also by reconstructing its entire biomechanical structure. This innovative method will greatly extend the diagnostic capability of our radiographic facilities and, once established, be easily adapted to simulate other body parts or even other species. Such a model would also be an invaluable tool in medical education.