Descrição anatomorradiográfica do membro pélvico do Tamanduá-Bandeira (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)

Abstract

The radiographic exam is the most important complementary exam to evaluate limbs and bone trauma, but it has the challenge of anatomical knowledge and scarcity of reference literature in the field of wild animal medicine. Due to the importance of the giant anteater, its anatomical particularities and the need for specific knowledge for the conservation of the species, the objective of this study was the anatomical and radiographic description of the pelvic limb of the anteater. For this, 02 (two) corpses of giant anteaters were radiographed, 01 (one) of these corpses was used to make an anatomical piece, one female, a victim of being run over, another 04 (four) radiographs from the database were evaluated for comparison . The bones were bleached and positioned according to the topographic anatomy to take the photographs. Subsequently, the radiographic images and photographs were numbered and named according to the International Committee on Veterinary Gross Anatomical Nomenclature (2017). It was observed that the giant anteaters presented the anatomy of the pelvis and pelvic limb similar to that observed in domestic carnivores and other Xenarthrans. However, some important differences were highlighted, such as: (1) the absence of the lesser sciatic notch, only the greater sciatic notch is observed, (2) the ischial spine is absent in the species, (3) the obturator foramen presented an elliptical shape. , (4) the lesser trochanter of the femur was poorly developed, not forming the trochanteric fossa, (5) the lateral rough line of the femur was well developed, similar to a crest, representing a remnant of the third trochanter, (6) only one proximal sesamoid bone was present located in the proximal tibial epiphysis, representing the sesamoid for insertion of the popliteus muscle, (7) the middle phalanx is absent in finger I, (8) five tarsi are present in the distal row, (9) metatarsus V presented a latero-plantar expansion in its proximal region, (10) the species presented two proximal sesamoids in the metatarsal phalangeal joint, some bipartite, and (11) absence of distal sesamoids in the phalangeal joint.