The equine nuchal ligament 1: structural and material properties

Abstract

SummaryThe nuchal ligament, a large elastic structure in the dorsal cervical region, helps support the head and neck in the horse. During locomotion, the caudal funicular and cranial lamellar regions make the largest contribution to elastic strain energy storage. By storing and returning strain energy, the nuchal ligament reduces the amount of oscillatory head movements. These conclusions are derived from examination of the functional morphology of the equine nuchal ligament, its deformation during head movements, and the measurements of the mechanical properties of the tissue using a loading frame. The modulus of elasticity (Young’s Modulus) was found to be similar to published values for bovine nuchal ligament: 8.4 × 105 (0.2 × 105 S. E.). The measured material properties can be combined with an analysis of tissue strain, and structural organization, to provide detailed estimates of the passive contribution of the nuchal ligament to locomotory motions of the head and neck.