Computed Tomography-Based Morphometric Analysis of the Hip Bones (Ossa coxae) in Turkish Van Cats

This study was carried out to determine the osteometric measurement values of the ossa coxae by using three-dimensional (3D) modeling of the images obtained by computed tomography in Van Cats. In the study, 16 adult Van cats, 8 of which are male ones and 8 female ones, were used. Firstly, cats were anesthetized with the ketamine HCl - xylazine HCl combination. Their images were obtained by scanning through 16 cross-sectional CT devices (Somatom Sensation 16; Siemens Medical Solutions, Erlangen, Germany). Then, The scanned images of the ossa coxae in each cat were transformed into the three-dimensional structure by using MIMICS 20.1 (The Materialise Group, Leuven, Belgium) software program. Later, morphometric (12 linear), volumetric, and surface area measurements were calculated and statistical analyses were performed. In the present study, 12 of 14 measurement parameters of the ossa coxae were higher in males than in females. In the osteometric analysis, it was observed that the greatest length of one half (GL), length between the inner edges of the acetabulum (LA), the greatest breadth across the tuber ischiadicum (GBTI), and the smallest breadth across the bodies of the ischia (SBI) measurement values were significantly greater in male cats than in female cats (P<0.05). The volume and surface area values of the ossa coxae in van cats were found as 12.33 +/- 2.14 cm(3) In male cats and 9.81 +/- 0.71 cm(3) in female cats; 94.66 +/- 11.01 cm(2) in male cats and 83.84 +/- 7.73 cm(2) in female cats, respectively. These differences between the measurement values of male and female cats were seen to be statistically significant (P<0.05). As a result, basic morphometric measurement parameters of ossa coxae between both genders in adult Van cats were determined by using CT and 3D modeling programs. It is thought that the data obtained from this study may be useful in determining the sexual dimorphism of these species and also in determining the clinical applications and scientific studies to be carried out in the region.