Aj. Kaneps et al., Comparison of autogenous cancellous bone grafts obtained from the sternum and proximal portion of the tibia of llamas, J AM VET ME, 215(3), 1999, pp. 362-365
Citations number
10
Categorie Soggetti
Veterinary Medicine/Animal Health
Journal title
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
Objective-To describe the anatomy of the sternum in Ilamas, define the surg
ical approach to the sternum for collection of cancellous bone graft tissue
, and compare the histologic appearance of graft tissue obtained from the s
ternum with that obtained from the proximal portion of the tibia.
Design-Prospective study.
Animals-12 Ilamas, 3 to 19 years old, that had been submitted for necropsy.
Procedure-Radiographs were taken of the sternum and left tibia of the Ilama
s. Measurements of the sternum were determined from the radiographs and adj
usted for magnification. Sternebrae volumes were estimated from these measu
rements. Anatomic dissections to the center of the fourth sternebra and the
proximal portion of the tibia were made, and a surgical approach to the st
ernum was developed. Cancellous graft tissue was obtained from each site an
d submitted for histologic evaluation.
Results-Sternebrae 3, 4, and 5 were significantly larger in volume than the
other sternebrae. The ventral aspect of the fourth sternebra was readily a
ccessed for removal of graft tissue by making a 6-cm-long ventral midline i
ncision centered 17 cm craniad to the xiphoid. Mean soft tissue thickness o
verlying the ventral aspect of the fourth sternebra was 3.1 cm. More tissue
was obtained from the sternal (mean, 9.11 g) than from the tibial (mean, 5
.16 g) sites. Sternal graft tissue consisted of trabecular bone spicules wi
th predominantly hematopoietic marrow, whereas tibial tissue consisted of t
rabecular bone spicules with only fatty marrow.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-The fourth sternebra in Ilamas is readil
y accessible for obtaining autogenous cancellous bone graft tissue that con
sists of predominantly hematopoietic marrow.