Category: Archives

Diagnostic imaging techniques for determining lameness in horses is constantly evolving and improving, assisting veterinarians to provide accurate diagnosis, prognosis and appropriate treatment options. Understanding imaging options will allow you to understand why your veterinarian has suggested one over another. Digital radiography(X-ray) provides clear, detailed images of bony structures of the horse and is used to diagnose fractures, bone cysts, and arthritis. However, radiographs create a two-dimensional image of three-dimensional bones, and thus can miss subtle abnormalities, especially in complex joints. Ultrasonography sends sound waves by a hand-held probe into the horse’s body. Structures with different densities reflect sound waves back to the probe, which in turn creates digital images. These high quality images are useful to monitor and diagnose soft tissue, joint and bone injuries; however, this technique cannot penetrate through bone, and only the surface of bone is visible. Nuclear Scintigraphy (Bone Scan) involves injecting the horse with radioisotope that tracks to actively changing bone and highlights bony injuries or changes. Using a gamma camera to scan the body, injured bone and tissue absorbs more radioisotope than healthy bone and tissue. This technique is useful for multiple limb lameness, inconsistent lame- ness, lameness detected at speed, kissing spine, neck arthritis and sacroiliac joints. But, it is a screening tool that often identifies a region to further investigate with additional imaging techniques to determine a specific diagnosis. ComputedTomography(CT) provides...