Digital cushion

The base of the foot pads is formed by the digital cushions (tela subcutanea tori (pulvinus digitalis)), which are made of subcutaneous adipose tissue that is partitioned by reticular collagenous tissues.

In ruminants and in horses, the foot pad (torus digitalis) may be divided into a distal (apical part) and a proximal part.

Specifically in horses, the apical part constitutes the frog and the distal part the heel bulbs. This particularity may be confusing for depicting the anatomy of the equine digital cushions because: 

• For many authors, the digital cushion may be individualised as a single anatomical part, subdivided into a toric part (Pars torica pulvini digitalis) and a cuneal part (Pars cunealis pulvini digitalis).
• Or (in the NAV for example) the digital cushion is considered as a subcutaneous layer, and is separately included in the frog (Subcutaneous tissue of frog [Cuneal part of digital cushion] and in the torus digitalis (Pars torica pulvini digitalis; Bulbar part [Toric part] of digital cushion).