Firstly, it should be mentioned that it is not always viable to cut the horn samples from the different hooves at the very same position in the particular segments and therefore the measurements given should be understood as guidelines in the way of the descriptive statistics. Thus, the comparison between the different hooves at the same location can be challenging at times.
Some further opening remarks should be made: In a healthy foot, the stratum basale is separated from the corium by a basement membrane that can be seen in the AB-PAS staining. A positive reaction of the AB-PAS staining in the marrows of the horn tubules is also a normal appearance. The horn layer is generally composed of the horn tubules built by the basal epidermis layer of the papillae and the intertubular horn built by the basal cells in the area between the papillae. The horn tubules, for their part, consist of the cortex built by the basal layer next to the apex of the papillae and of the marrow built by the basal cells of the apex of the papillae.
A small number of vacuoles in the cells of the stratum spinosum or granulosum, as found in the perioplic, coronary, terminal, sole and pad segment can be regarded as normal, but many of them are pathological (see chapter 6.4).
The differences between the two elephant-species (if any) are mentioned where necessary