Morphometric analysis of the mandible of ram and ewe romanov sheep (Ovis aries) with 3D modelling: A CT study

Abstract

2D images view hardly measurement points due to the overlap of anatomical features. This challenge is overcome by 3D modelling. In particular, images obtained by computed tomography are converted into 3D models through certain software. In sheep breeds with high polymorphism, some changes have occurred in their morphology due to both environmental and genetic factors. In this context, determining the osteometric measurements of sheep and revealing breed-specific characteristics provide very important data for forensic, zooarchaeological, and developmental sciences. Mandibular reconstruction measurements are used to reveal differences between species and between sexes and for treatment and surgery in many fields of medicine. In the present study, morphometric characteristics were determined by 3D modelling from computed tomography images obtained from mandibles of Romanov ram and ewe. For this purpose, mandibles of 16 Romanov sheep (eight females and eight males) were used. They were scanned using a 64-detector MDCT device at 80 kV, 200 MA, 639 mGY, and 0.625 mm slice thickness. CT scans were recorded in DICOM format. Reconstructions of the images were made using a special software program. Volume and surface area measurements were made with 22 osteometric parameters of the mandible. GOC-ID had a statistically significant positive correlation with GOC-ID, PC-ID, GOC-MTR, GOC-PTW, GOC-FMN, PMU, MDU, PDU, DU, GOV-PC, GOV-IMD, MTR-MH, MO-MH, FMN- ID, BM, MG, and CG (p < 0.01). GOC-ID had a statistically significant correlation with MTR-ID, GOV-CR, PTW-MH and SI (p < 0.05). When the CR-PC measurement point was examined, it was observed that it had no statistically significant correlation with all measurement points (p > 0.05). As a result of the measurement, it was found that the volume and surface areas were higher in rams than in ewes. The morphometric data obtained would be a reference income in the fields of zoo-archaeology, anatomy, forensics, anaesthesia, surgery, and treatment.