SPONGIOUS MATRIX OF THE TIBIO-TARSAL BONE OF OSTRICHES (STRUTHIO CAMELUS) – A DIGITAL ANALYSIS

A novel diagnostic method was adapted from studies in horses and humans to postmortal research on ostrich bones. The research made it possible to determine referential values in the method of digital analysis of a radiological image for the tibio-tarsal bone of the ostrich, following exposure to injuries. In the case of a computer-generated analysis of a radiological image, the optimal conditions for taking images were selected, along with their digital record and processing: 0.096 mm/pixel, 256 greyness level (8 bits), and scanning in BMP (a bitmap that is an open format of raster graphics, a block of bytes, which describes an image pixel by pixel). The research was conducted on the rectangular-shaped (160 x 320 points) spongy bone taken about 80 mm below the articular surface near the proximal metaphysis. The research allowed defining parameters of the spongious matrix of the tibio-tarsal bone of healthy 14-month-old ostriches. The average number of trabeculae on lines was 10.41 mm2 for both sexes, the average volume was 2.21 %, the density of the trabeculation (the percentage of the surface covered with trabeculae) was 47.44 % for both sexes and the average width of the trabeculae was 0.23 mm. On the basis of the conducted calculations, it is possible to draw a conclusion that the average number of radiological trabeculae, the volume of the trabeculae, and their density do not differ significantly for cocks and hens