This study was undertaken to describe the radiographic appearance of each bone of carpal joints in addition to description of radiographic relations and superimpositions of carpal bones with each other. Twenty five adult living animals of both sexes were examined radiographically. Horses, donkeys, buffaloes, cattle and camels were represented by five animals from each species. Radiographic examinations were carried out on carpal joints of animals under tranquilization. Radiographic exposures included dorsopalmar, straight lateromedial and flexed lateromedial views. Radiographically, all carpal bones appeared as irregular quadrangular or rectangular structures with four borders in dorsopalmar projection namely proximal, distal, medial and lateral, except the accessory carpal bone which appeared as a vertical oval structure. Results suggested that knowledge about areas of superimposition between carpal bones is very important in differential diagnosis between normal bone densities due to superimposition and abnormal bone densities due to diseased conditions. At the same time, superimposition of bone borders over each other can be misinterpreted in some cases as line of fractures.
Buffalo, Camel, Carpal bones, Cattle, Donkey, Horse, Radiographic interpretation
