Siirt-Colored Mohair Goat (Capra Hircus) and Romanov Sheep (Ovis Aries) Determination of Morphometric Features of Hyoid Bone via Three Dimensional Modelling

Abstract

The hyoid bone is the only bone that connects caudally to the tympanohyoid and stylohyoid processes of the pars petrosa of the temporal bone and does not articulate with any other bone. The hyoid bone plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance and functionality of the respiratory tract, as well as in language functions and swallowing. Morphometric studies on the hyoid bone have been conducted in both humans and animals. With advancements in technology, two-dimensional (2D) structures have been replaced by three-dimensional (3D) modeling. Our study is the first to determine the morphometric properties of the hyoid bone in sheep and goats using the 3D modeling method. For this purpose, 40 hyoid bone models from adult Siirt-colored mohair goats (10 females, 10 males) and Romanov sheep (10 females, 10 males) were utilized. All 40 bones were modeled, and measurements were obtained from the models. Skull sections were taken with a computed tomography device and recorded in DICOM format. The images were transferred to the 3D-Slicer (5.2) software program and 3D models were made. Five morphometric parameters were measured simultaneously for two animal species from these models. Measurement results were evaluated statistically between male and female animals. The correlation between measurement parameters was determined by correlation analysis. As a result of the study, the stylohyal lenght (SL) measurement parameter had a statistical difference between genders in both sheep and goats. Additionally, it was determined that the epihyal lenght (EL) value showed a significant difference between male and female goats in Siirt-colored mohair goats. When the correlation analysis table was examined, it was determined that the SL parameter had a positive correlation with CL and TL, and the TL parameter had a positive correlation with CL and BL in the two animal species. We believe that the differences in the hyoid bone of these two races, which are in the Ruminantia subgroup and have different phenotypes, will contribute to the literature. In addition, the data will serve as a reference for relevant studies in the fields of veterinary medicine, anatomy education, surgery, pathology, and zoo-archaeology.