Vertebral heart scale measurements in Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) and sun bears (Helarctos malayanus)
5 affiliations
- 1College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Sejong, Republic of Korea
- 2Free the Bears, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- 3Free the Bears, Cat Tien, Vietnam
- 4Free the Bears, Luang Prabang, Laos
- 5Wildlife Center of Chungbuk, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
Abstract
This retrospective study aimed to establish vertebral heart score (VHS) reference ranges for Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus; ABB) and sun bear (Helarctos malayanus; SB), and to evaluate interspecific differences and the effects of biological variables on VHS measurement. Although cardiovascular disease is a common health concern for these species in captivity, objective radiographic reference ranges for cardiac size assessments are currently lacking. Thoracic radiographs from 46 clinically healthy sanctuary bears (22 ABBs, 24 SBs) were reviewed. VHS was measured on right lateral (RL) and dorsoventral (DV) views, and thoracic conformation was quantified using the thoracic depth-to-width (D/W) ratio. The influence of sex, age, and morphometric parameters (body weight, body condition score, and chest circumference) on VHS was evaluated within each species. In ABBs, the mean VHS was 10.65 ± 0.48 vertebrae (v) (95% range, 9.90 ‒ 11.67) on RL view and 10.82 ± 0.73 v (95% range, 8.90 ‒ 11.96) on DV views. Corresponding values in SBs were 10.68 ± 0.62 v (RL) (95% range, 9.19 ‒ 11.68) and 11.18 ± 0.67 v (DV) (95% range, 10.13 ‒ 12.28). No significant differences in VHS were observed between the two species, despite distinct differences in thoracic conformation; D/W ratio was 0.73‒1.00 (95% range) in ABBs and 0.59‒0.77 (95% range) in SBs. Sex, age, and morphometric variables were not significantly associated with VHS in either species. Despite significant interspecific variations in thoracic morphology, the VHS remained consistent between species and robust across various biological traits. These species-specific VHS reference ranges provide a practical radiographic tool for objective screening of cardiomegaly and longitudinal monitoring of cardiac size in captive bears, enhancing the clinical management and welfare of captive bears.
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BibTeX
@article{kim2026vertebral,
title = {{Vertebral heart scale measurements in Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) and sun bears (Helarctos malayanus)}},
author = {Nari Kim and Jacqui Esteban and Sorphea Phorn and Vi Le Tuong and Mengxiong Wangnengxiong and Zachary A. David and Matt Hunt and Dong-Hyuk Jeong},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0356816},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0356816},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Vertebral heart scale measurements in Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) and sun bears (Helarctos malayanus)
AU - Nari Kim
AU - Jacqui Esteban
AU - Sorphea Phorn
AU - Vi Le Tuong
AU - Mengxiong Wangnengxiong
AU - Zachary A. David
AU - Matt Hunt
AU - Dong-Hyuk Jeong
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/18
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0356816
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0356816
AB - This retrospective study aimed to establish vertebral heart score (VHS) reference ranges for Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus; ABB) and sun bear (Helarctos malayanus; SB), and to evaluate interspecific differences and the effects of biological variables on VHS measurement. Although cardiovascular disease is a common health concern for these species in captivity, objective radiographic reference ranges for cardiac size assessments are currently lacking. Thoracic radiographs from 46 clinically healthy sanctuary bears (22 ABBs, 24 SBs) were reviewed. VHS was measured on right lateral (RL) and dorsoventral (DV) views, and thoracic conformation was quantified using the thoracic depth-to-width (D/W) ratio. The influence of sex, age, and morphometric parameters (body weight, body condition score, and chest circumference) on VHS was evaluated within each species. In ABBs, the mean VHS was 10.65 ± 0.48 vertebrae (v) (95% range, 9.90 ‒ 11.67) on RL view and 10.82 ± 0.73 v (95% range, 8.90 ‒ 11.96) on DV views. Corresponding values in SBs were 10.68 ± 0.62 v (RL) (95% range, 9.19 ‒ 11.68) and 11.18 ± 0.67 v (DV) (95% range, 10.13 ‒ 12.28). No significant differences in VHS were observed between the two species, despite distinct differences in thoracic conformation; D/W ratio was 0.73‒1.00 (95% range) in ABBs and 0.59‒0.77 (95% range) in SBs. Sex, age, and morphometric variables were not significantly associated with VHS in either species. Despite significant interspecific variations in thoracic morphology, the VHS remained consistent between species and robust across various biological traits. These species-specific VHS reference ranges provide a practical radiographic tool for objective screening of cardiomegaly and longitudinal monitoring of cardiac size in captive bears, enhancing the clinical management and welfare of captive bears.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -