VN October 2023

Vetnuus | October 2023 38 Over the years I have often been asked how short or long should elephant tusks be amputated. This is a very complex question and one I would like to unpack a bit. Why amputate tusks? There are a multitude of reasons why institutions may want to shorten (amputate) tusks: Removing sharp edges after tusk fractures Removal of a cracked tusk to prevent the crack entering the pulp Shortening of tusks for management purposes Creating a perpendicular surface to perform endodontic procedures from* Deter problem animals from breaking fences *(1) Prevent bull elephants from killing rhinos on a farm* As you can see, there are reasons for tusk shortening for both captive (zoo) settings as well as free-living animals (all marked*) Where does the pulp terminate in the tusk? This question was addressed in African elephant tusks, originating from South Africa and Namibia in a study (2). Many aspects of tusk growth do show a linear relationship with age, however, exposed pulp length (Expu - the amount of pulp extending beyond the lip margin into the tusk) was not one of them. This was true for both males and females (2). The closest we got to an answer was to state that the 95% confidence interval for Expu in the Namibian tusks was 255.5 mm (2). How can you accurately determine where the pulp terminates in a tusk? Digital radiography has greatly improved our diagnostic abilities in many areas of veterinary science. The same is true for elephant tusks. Having said that, elephant ivory is a very dense structure and the older the animal the more difficult it is to penetrate the tusk and still be able to differentiate the pulp canal. Recently I was asked to comment on a procedure on an elephant where the tusks were radiographed beforehand and based on measurements taken from the radiographs – the desired amount of tusk to be amputated was determined. This worked perfectly on the one side, however, it led to exposure of the pulp on the opposite side (Figs. 1 – 3) Elephant tusk amputations: How short is too short? Prof. Gerhard Steenkamp BVSc, PhD, FRCVS Figure 1. A lateral radiograph of a right African elephant tusk. The central canal devoid of any blood vessels and neural tissue is clearly visible. Dental Column Figure 2. The same right tusk as in Fig. 1, was radiographed immediately after shortening of the tusk. The conically shaped pulp is visible enlarging proximally. Figure 3. The amputated tusk of the African elephant in Figs. 1&2. A small oval opening is present in the centre of the tusk with blood surrounding it. This clearly demonstrates the pulp has been entered.