Built to Move: How Animal Skeletons and Soft Tissues Work Together

This module will introduce veterinary anatomical terms and describe the functional anatomy of the canine vertebral column, forelimb and hindlimb.

This module will also introduce comparative anatomy, including specific musculoskeletal adaptations of the horse and other common domestic species. In addition, this module will highlight how functional anatomy can aid the diagnosis of clinical cases in veterinary medicine.

Module leader: James Anderson

Staff who will deliver sessions on the module: James Anderson, Rosie MacDiarmid, Zeeshan Durrani.

Aims

To provide students with an understanding of the functional anatomy of the canine musculoskeletal system for locomotion.
To foster critical thinking and practical skills through activities that involve analysing skeletal structures, comparing different animal skeletons.
To provide problem-based learning skills in understanding the effect of nerve damage on the mobility of animals.

Content

The following topics will be considered on the module:

Anatomical terms, structure & function of the musculoskeletal system
Anatomy of the forelimb of the dog
Anatomy of the Hindlimb of the dog
Bones practical
Functional anatomy of the hoof and horse gaits
Peripheral nerve injuries

Structure

The module will be delivered over a three-week period in six two-hour sessions (four hours per week, total 12 hours contact time).

Session one: Anatomical terms, structure & function of the musculoskeletal system

Introduction to anatomical terms
Types of bone and joint and their function
Tissue level structure of bone and muscle
The role of tendons and ligaments
Axial skeleton

Session two: Anatomy of the forelimb of the dog

The bones of the forelimb
The major joints and muscle groups of the forelimb
The major nerves of the forelimb

Session three: Anatomy of the Hindlimb of the dog

The bones of the hindlimb
The major joints and muscle groups of the hindlimb
The major nerves of the hindlimb

Session four: Bones practical

Hands-on practical experience of canine forelimb, hindlimb and vertebral bones, identifying how these articulate and relate to the whole skeleton.
Hands-on experience of comparative anatomy, comparing bones and skeletons from a range of common domesticated species.
Digital 3D Model Competition: Group work opportunity to take multiple photographs of selected bone specimens. During the week staff at the university digital morphology laboratory will then convert these into digital 3D models, with the model regarded as the best being added to our digital anatomy museum collection.

Session five: Functional anatomy of the hoof and horse gaits

The anatomical structure and composition of the equine hoof
The weight bearing mechanism of the hoof
The normal gaits of the horse

Session six: Peripheral nerve injuries

In the final session, students will relate functional anatomy to clinical cases, discussing the clinical signs associated with nerve injuries encountered in clinical veterinary practice.

Teaching methods

The teaching approach will include the following:

Taught sessions
Small group working
Practical activity
Presentations

Assessment

Assessment will be by:

Group presentation (worth 50% of the overall mark)
Multiple choice/short answer paper (worth 50% of the overall mark).

Standard University policies apply regarding late submission of assessments.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

Identify and describe major bones, muscles and nerves of the canine forelimb, hindlimb and vertebral column.
Identify and describe differences in the limb bones of domestic animals.
Discuss the clinical signs seen in animals with peripheral nerve damage.

Skills

Key skills that will be developed:

Collaboration and teamwork, through group discussions, activities and tasks in class, and collaborative research
Communication, demonstrated orally in group discussions, activities and tasks in class
Critical analysis and evaluation through comparing animal skeletons and critically evaluate their differences. Students will also be given the task of evaluating how nerve injuries manifest as changes in posture and gait.

Reading

The University Library website provides access to many relevant books, as well as academic journals and databases.