Arterial Blood Supply of the Stifle Joint in Horses

Simple Summary In former times, horses with stifle injuries could not be helped much due to restrictions in diagnostic and therapeutic options. With the technical progress and willingness of owners to pay for advanced veterinary services, operations to the stifle joint became feasible. As a detailed anatomical description of the blood supply in the stifle region was lacking for horses, the aim of the study was to fill this gap. Vessels were dissected and described so that a detailed map for the blood supply of the horse stifle is now available. This information will help veterinary surgeons to minimize unwanted damage or bleeding during operations.Abstract The vascularization pattern of the equine stifle joint is insufficiently described in the literature, even though there is a growing need for knowledge of the exact blood supply, as (i) arthroscopy and endoscopic surgery techniques are increasingly performed in horses and (ii) ex vivo models of menisci need nutrient supply that mimic the in vivo situation. The aim of this study was to describe the vessels involved in the stifle joint supply and the exact branching pattern of the popliteal artery. Colored latex was injected into the arteries of nine pelvic limbs of equine cadavers (n = 6) to evaluate the occurrences, variations and approximate diameters of vessels that supplied the stifle joints. Next to a branch of the saphenous and descending genicular arteries, eleven branches of the popliteal artery could be described in horses that feed the vascular network of the stifle joint. With a focus on the blood supply of the menisci, a vascularization map was created to show the main influx to these intra-articular structures in detail. These findings are potentially of great importance to both clinicians in preparation of best-suited incisions for arthroscopy and researchers designing new approaches for meniscal studies and choosing suitable animal models.