Anatomical Description of Pelvic Limb Myology and its Topographic Relationship with Vascular and Nervous Systems in Pudú (Pudu puda)

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Jorge Sánchez Oñate; Pamela Morales Muñoz & Rodemil Medina Puentes

Summary

The Pudu (Pudu puda) belongs to the family Cervidae and it is estimated that its total current population is less than 10,000 specimen, which is why it is part of the "Near Threatened" category and on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The cause of the reduction of its population is the loss and the fragmentation of the forests of the south of Chile, hunting, predation, crashes, among others. In the latter situations, it is common to observe injuries in the caudal area and pelvic limbs of the animal. Due to the above, it is considered important to generate morphological studies in the Pudú that can be a contribution in the knowledge of this particular species. The present study corresponds to an anatomical descriptive study of the pelvic limb of a female Pudú. Musculature and its main relationships with blood vessels and nerves were described from proximal to distal, dividing the pelvic limb into four topographic regions: pelvic waist, femoral, crural and foot. In addition, a morphometric study of each topographic region and each muscle was performed as complementary analysis. The results were compared to domestic ruminants, in relation to those described in the classic anatomical bibliography, observing that the analyzed specimen has anatomical characteristics similar to that described for small ruminants, however, several important differences were observed and should be taken into consideration: the M. tensor fascia latae presents two overlapping portions; the M. soleus is more developed; the vasculature of the femoral nerve is observed through the cranial portion of the M. sartorius and M. gracilis is part of the common calcaneus tendon. The information provided in this study corresponds to an anatomical contribution that allows furthering scientific knowledge of this protected and vulnerable species.

KEY WORDS: Pudú; Myology; Pelvic limb; Comparative Anatomy.

How to cite this article

SÁNCHEZ, O. J.; MORALES, M. P. & MEDINA, P. R. Anatomical description of pelvic limb myology and its topographic relationship with vascular and nervous systems in Pudú (Pudu puda). Int. J. Morphol., 35(4):1370-1376, 2017.