Observations of different types of sacra in Greyhounds based on the occurrence of sacrocaudal fusion.

Little attention has been paid to the normal fusion of the vertebrae of greyhounds despite the common occurrence of sacrocaudal fusion. The current study aimed to investigate and provide data on the morphology of different types of fused sacra (B, C and D) in greyhounds and also to determine the potential association between the sex, body mass and morphology of fused sacra (S. Weight, S. Length and S. Width) in greyhounds. The sacra were collected from 171 greyhounds from Melbourne, Australia. After classifying the sacra based on the occurrence and types of the sacrocaudal fusion, they were measured for weight of the sacrum, length of sacrum and the width of sacrum. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to quantify the association between weight of the sacrum (as the outcome variable) type of sacrum (A, B, C and D), body mass and sex (as explanatory variables). The results proved that there are measurable differences between each type of fused sacra (B, C and D) and the standard sacra (A). In addition, this study showed that sex or body mass do not influence the occurrence of different types of fusion. The results of this study showed that the occurrence of sacrocaudal fusions was independent of body size in this population of greyhounds. Sacrocaudal fusion might affect the biomechanics in greyhounds independently of effects of body size.