Structural Features of the Equine Small Intestinal Mesenteric Attachment Predisposing to Rupture.

Equine jejunal rupture preferentially occurs at mesenteric attachment due to structural weakness from vascular fenestrations.

This study investigates the anatomical predisposition of equine jejunum to rupture at the mesenteric attachment during colic. Twenty-two fresh jejunal segments from five equine cadavers were subjected to intraluminal water infusion until rupture occurred. Eighteen segments ruptured at the mesenteric attachment, while four disconnected from the experimental apparatus. Histological examination and 14.1T MRI imaging revealed periodic fenestrations (openings) in the muscularis externa layer at the mesenteric attachment site, corresponding to mesenteric-jejunal vasculature passage. These fenestrations create a structural weakness in the bowel wall. A naturally occurring colic case with resected jejunum confirmed rupture associated with mesenteric-jejunal vasculature. The findings demonstrate that the mesenteric attachment represents a biomechanical weak point where blood vessels penetrate the jejunal wall, predisposing this location to rupture under elevated intraluminal pressure. This anatomical vulnerability may explain clinical observations of jejunal rupture with mesenteric pouch formation in equine colic cases.

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