Standing MRI lesions of the distal interphalangeal joint and podotrochlear apparatus occur with a high frequency in warmblood horses

Foot pain is a common presenting complaint in Warmblood horses. The aim of this retrospective, cross‐sectional study was to determine the spectrum of foot lesions detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in Warmblood horses used for dressage, jumping, and eventing. The medical records of 550 Warmblood horses with foot pain that were scanned using standing MRI were reviewed and the following data were recorded: signalment, occupation, lameness, diagnostic analgesia, imaging results, treatments, and follow‐up assessments. Associations between standing MRI lesions and chronic lameness following treatment were tested. Abnormalities of the navicular bone (409 horses, 74%), distal interphalangeal joint (362 horses, 65%), and deep digital flexor (DDF) tendon (260 horses, 47%) occurred with the highest frequency. The following abnormalities were significantly associated (P < .05) with chronic lameness following conservative therapy: moderate to severe MRI lesions in the trabecular bone of the navicular bone, mild or severe erosions of the flexor surface of the navicular bone, moderate sagittal/parasagittal DDF tendinopathies, and moderate collateral sesamoidean desmopathies. Also, identification of concurrent lesions of the DDF tendon, navicular bone, navicular bursa, and distal sesamoidean impar ligament was associated with chronic lameness after conservative therapy. Development of effective treatment options for foot lesions that respond poorly to conservative therapy is necessary.     

Frozen and Unfrozen Water Contents of Wheat Flours and Their Components

The properties of frozen and unfrozen water in two different wheat flours (hard and soft), and in their main components (gluten, starch, damaged starch, water‐soluble and water‐insoluble pentosans), were described using modulated differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). As a reference, enthalpy values of crystallization (298 J/g) and melting (335 J/g) of pure water were determined from the total heat flow curves. The separation of thermal events between the reversing and nonreversing heat flows with modulated DSC was not effective due to disturbances in the modulated temperature scan. For wheat flours and their components, linear regressions described well the changes in frozen water content calculated from enthalpies of freezing (R² = 0.970–0.982) or melting (R² = 0.783–0.996). The unfrozen water content (UFWC) calculated for the hard wheat flour (29–31%, db) was close to that calculated for the soft wheat flour (30–32%). The UFWC of wheat gluten (38–47%), starch (38–42%), damaged starch (37–40%), water‐soluble pentosans (51%), and water‐insoluble pentosans (40–44%) were higher than the corresponding values for the flours. The simple summation of the contributions of each component cannot be used to estimate the overall behavior of flours.     

Contribution of Specific Flour Components to Water Vapor Adsorption Properties of Wheat Flours

The dynamic water vapor adsorption properties were determined for two wheat flours (hard wheat flour and soft wheat flour) and compared with those of flour components (starch, damaged starch, gluten, water‐soluble pentosans, and water‐insoluble pentosans). Water vapor adsorption rates were determined from the changes in sample mass as a function of time during hydration after a step increase in relative humidity (rh). It was not possible to significantly discriminate the selected products by initial rates of adsorption (5.1 × 10^‐2 to 6.4 × 10^‐2 g/100 g of dry matter/min), except the water‐insoluble pentosans that were characterized by high values of adsorption rates (14 × 10^‐2 g/100 g of dry matter/min). Changes in initial relative humidity conditions and %rh step sizes induced significant changes in adsorption rates. Calculations of apparent water diffusion coefficients were done using a derived form of Fick's law for polydisperse spherical particles. Apparent water diffusion coefficients (at 25°C and 60% rh) were estimated between 2.19 × 10^‐15 and 3.72 × 10^‐15 m²/sec for the selected wheat flours. Water‐insoluble pentosans are characterized by the highest values of diffusion coefficients (1.53 × 10^‐13 m²/sec) when compared with the other wheat components. The calculated values of apparent water diffusion coefficient were discussed in regard to experimental conditions.