Variation of skin thickness over the equine body and the correlation between skin fold measurement and actual skin thickness

Abstract

It is known that there is variation in the thickness of the skin between between the different bodyparts, but the exact variation is not known. During this study we performed 490 biopsies, on nine horses and 28 different places on the equine body. Of these biopsies the thickness is measured with a digital sliding under a magnifying glass. If there was a possibility we first measured the thickness of a skinfold with a micrometer. There was no significant correlation between the thickness of the fold and the biopsy. The tickness of the skin varies from 1.47mm on the external inguinal canal to 4.57 on the dorsal side of the hindlimbs 1.5cm above the hoof. The skin on the back is the tickest and the skin on the head, neck and ventral abdomen is the thinnest. The skin on the legs is 2.86mm and it is not thin, in contrast which is thought in many cases. The skin of the limbs becomes thinner the more distal on the legs. There is no significant difference in the thickness of the skin of the front- and hindlimbs. Knowledge about the skin thickness is important in harvesting skingrafts and can contribute to an optimal woundmanagment.