Welcome back. In this continuation of our comparative anatomy study, we will discuss the osteological features of hind limb bones in different animals (ox, sheep, goat, horse, and dog). If you want to understand the basic differences, keep reading.
You already understand the basic osteological features of hind limb bones. For more, see the article on identifying these features.
Let’s compare the osteological features of hind limb bones from different animals.
I’ll compare the hind limb bones of various animals by highlighting key osteological differences. You may identify additional features—feel free to share insights.
Hind limb bones of animals
All the bones from the hind limb are known to you. This article is organized in the following way: we will first list the specific bones to be compared. Next, each group of bones will be explored in its own dedicated section. This progression through the content is designed to guide your reading and understanding as we systematically compare each set of bones.
- Pelvic bones of ox, sheep and goat, horse, and dog
- Femur of ox, sheep and goat, horse, and dog
- Tibia and fibula of ox, sheep and goat, horse and dog
- Tarsal bones of ox, sheep and goat, horse, and dog
- Metatarsal bones of ox, sheep and goat, horse, and dog
- Digit & phalanges of ox, sheep and goat, horse and dog
- Sesamoid bones of ox, sheep, goat, horse, and dog (already described in the previous article)
Now, let us begin with the first comparison section: the hind limb bones. Each subsequent section will clearly focus on a particular set of bones (such as the pelvic bone, femur, tibia, tarsal bones, metatarsals, and digits), highlighting their osteological differences.
Comparative anatomy of pelvic bone (Ilium, Ischium, and Pubis) from different animals
We will consider the following important osteological features to compare.
Gluteal line
- The prominent gluteal line is found in the ox, less prominent in the sheep and goat
- Not so prominent in the horse
- The gluteal surface is concave, and the gluteal line is not prominent.
Ischium bone
- Large, obliquely directed in ox, sheep, and goat
- Quadrilateral shape in a horse
- The twisted and caudal part is horizontal in the dog.
Ischiatic spine
- Sharp in ox, sheep and goat
- Not so sharp in the horse
- Blunt in a dog
Ischiatic tuberosity
- Trifid in ox, sheep and goat
- Not trifid in the horse
- Flat in the dog
Ventral tubercle
Present in ox, sheep, and goat, and absent in horse and dog
Acetabulum
- Less wide in ox, sheep and goat
- More wide in the horse
- Wide in the dog
Acetabular notch
- Less wide in ox, sheep and goat
- More wide in the horse
- Medium in dog
Psoas tubercle
Well developed in ox, less developed in sheep, goat, horse, and dog.
| Osteological features | Ox, sheep and goat | Horse | Dog |
| Gluteal line | Prominent | Not prominent | Gluteal surface is concave and gluteal line is not prominent |
| Ischium bones | Large and directed obliquely | Quadrilateral | Twisted and caudal part is horizontal |
| Ventral tubercle | Present | Absent | Absent |
| Ischiatic tuberosity | Trifid | Not trifid | Flat |
| Ischiatic spine | Sharp | Not sharp | Blunt |
| Acetabulum | Less wide | More wide | Wide (medium) |
| Acetabular notch | Less wide | More wide | Wide (medium) |
| Psoas tubercle | Well developed | Not developed | Less prominent |
Comparative anatomy of the femur bones of different animals
We will look at these main bone features to compare the femur:
Third trochanter
Present only in the horse, not present in the ox, sheep, goat, and dog
Supracondyloid fossa
- Shallow on ox, sheep and goat
- More deep in the horse
- Absent in the dog
Fovea capitis femoris
- Shallow and located at the center of the head of the femur of ox, sheep, and goat
- More deep and located at the neck of the head in a horse
- Shallow, caudo-lateral to the head center in the dog
Trochanteric ridge
- Obliquely placed in ox, sheep, goat, and dog
- Straight in horse
| Osteological features | Ox, sheep and goat | Horse | Dog |
| Third trochanter | Absent | Present | Absent |
| Supracondyloid fossa | Shallow | More deeper | Absent |
| Fovea capitis femoris | Shallow and located at center of head | More deep and located at neck of head | Shallow and caudo-lateral to head |
| Trochanteric ridge | Obliquely directed | Straight | Obliquely directed |
Comparative anatomy of Tibia bones of different animals
We will look at these main bone features to compare the tibia:
Body of the tibia bone
- Curved and medial side convex in ox, sheep, and goat
- Large and flattened in the sagittal direction; widens at the distal end in the horse
- In a dog, the upper part is prismatic and medially convex; the distal part is cylindrical, and the lateral surface is convex.
Distal articular surface
- Groove and ridge are directed in the sagittal direction in ox, sheep, and goat.
- Groove and ridge are directed obliquely in the horse.
- Groove and ridge are directed in the sagittal direction in the dog.
Nutrient foramen
- Present in the proximal third of the lateral border in ox, sheep, and goat
- Present near the caudal surface on the popliteal line in the horse.
- Present at the proximal third of the lateral border in the dog
| Osteological features | Ox, sheep and goat | Horse | Dog |
| Body of tibia | Curved, medial aspect convex | Large and flatten in sagittal directionWidens at distal end | Proximal portion prismatic and convex mediallyDistal portion cylindrical and convex laterally |
| Distal articular surface | Groove and ridge are in sagittal direction | Groove and ridge are directed obliquely | Sagittal direction |
| Nutrient foramen | Proximal third of lateral border | Near caudal surface on popliteal line | Proximal third of lateral border |
Comparative anatomy of tarsal bones of different animals
We will look at these main bone features to compare the tarsal bones:
In ox, sheep, and goat, you will find five tarsals arranged in three rows; in the first row – tibial tarsal, fibular tarsal, middle row – central and fourth fused, and in the distal row – first tarsal, second and third fused tarsal.
In a horse, you will find six tarsal bones arranged in three rows. In the proximal row – tibial tarsal and fibular tarsal; in the middle row – central tarsal, and in the distal row – first and second fused tarsal, third tarsal, and fourth tarsal
In a dog, you will find seven tarsal bones arranged in three rows. In the proximal row – tibial tarsal and fibular tarsal; middle row – central tarsal and distal row – first, second, third, and fourth tarsal bones
| Feature | Ox, sheep and goat | Horse | Dog |
| Tarsal bones | T+F(C+4th) 1st + (2nd +3rd) | T+FC(1st +2nd) + 3rd + 4th | T+FC1st + 2nd + 3rd + 4th |
Comparative anatomy of the metatarsal bones of different animals
We will look at these main bone features to compare the metatarsal bones:
The number of bones fused in the metatarsal bones
- Two (large metatarsal bones include III and IV; small metatarsal bone II) in ox, sheep, and goat.
- Three bones (small metatarsal II and IV; large metatarsal III) in the horse
- Five separated metatarsal (first shorter, third and fourth larger; second and fifth are equal in length)
Small metacarpal location
- Postero-medial aspect of the large metatarsal bone in ox, sheep, and goat
- Postero-lateral and postero-medial aspects of a large metatarsal bone in a horse
- Separated bones in a dog
Depression of the sesamoid bones
- Four in ox, sheep and goat
- Two in a horse
- Two in dog (except in the first digit)
| Sesamoid bones | Ox, sheep and goat | Horse | Dog |
| Each digit | 3 | 3 | Posterior First digit – 1 2nd to 5th digit – 2 Anterior 5 cartilaginous |
| Each limb | 6 | 3 | 14 |
| Patella | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Total (four limbs) | 26 | 14 | 58 |
Comparative anatomy of digits and phalanges of different animals
| Features | Ox, sheep and goat | Horse | Dog |
| Digits | Two (III, IV) | One (III) | Five (I, II, III, IV, V) |
| Phalanges | Three for each digit Proximal, middle, distal | Three | First digit – two Second to fifth – three |
Conclusion
I hope this helped you compare hind limb bones in different animals, and that now you feel ready to spot the key features in ox, sheep, and goat bones!n If you need more details, I strongly suggest listening to class lectures or looking at textbooks. And if you want to learn more about veterinary anatomy, please get in touch or check out my future articles! Dive deeper into veterinary anatomy, don’t hesitate to connect with me or stay tuned for my upcoming articles!
“If possible, I will update or enrich information, pictures, and videos on this topic in the future.”
If you find mistakes or have suggestions, let me know in the comments. Thank you for joining me!
