Morphological study of the uterus in adult female Mandya sheep (Ovis aries)

Abstract

This study was conducted on the Uterus of six healthy, nonpregnant adult Mandya ewes collected from a slaughterhouse in Malavali Taluka, Karnataka. Samples were used for gross anatomical and morphometric study, using Vernier calipers, measuring scales, and nonelastic thread. Gross anatomical observations revealed that the Uterus is bicornuate and bipartite, a tubular organ positioned within the pelvic cavity. Comprising two uterine horns (cornua uteri), a single uterine body (corpus uteri), and caudal constriction (cervix uteri). The genital system was anchored by the broad ligament, which extends from the ventral surface of the Uterus to the lateral walls of pelvic cavity. At the divergence point, the two uterine horns were connected by an Intercornual ligament. Internally, the Uterus exhibited 83-90 brown caruncles. Morphometric measurements showed that the mean lengths of the right and left uterine horns were 9.73±0.17 cm and 13.02±0.57 cm, respectively, indicating a statistically significant difference (p0.05). The corpus uteri measured 2.27±0.13 cm in length and 1.87±0.10 cm in width. The cervix measured 3.35±0.11 cm long and 1.03±0.05 cm wide, with the number of cervical folds ranging from four to six. These morphometric insights have practical application in breeding management, infertility diagnosis, and treatment. This study enhances the understanding of the reproductive anatomy of the Mandya ewe.