5
EQUINE MATTERS
David Rutherford BVM&S Cert(ES) Dip ECVS MRCVS
Fellowes Farm Equine Clinic Ltd
Veterinary surgeon
David Rutherford
XLEquine practice
Fellowes Farm
Equine Clinic Ltd
Advanced imaging
modalities explained
Investigations of many illnesses or injuries in horses, in particular
lameness issues, will utilise a variety of methods of imaging.
Traditionally this has been limited to radiographs (x-rays) for
bones and joints, and ultrasound for soft tissues such as tendons
or ligaments. These remain common practice in equine
veterinary medicine, but where they fail to produce the answers
or detail we need to allow accurate diagnosis to be made,
alternative approaches are required. Over the past 15 years
this requirement has been filled by nuclear scintigraphy (bone
scanning), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed
tomography (CT).
ADVANCED IMAGING
Modality
Bone Scan CT
MRI
Area of body
possible to
image
Standing or
anaesthetised
?
Tissue under
investigation
Entire body
Standing
Bones and joints
Head, neck, legs from
elbow and stifle downwards
Standing or anaesthetised
Mainly bones and joints but
can give some information
on tendons and ligaments
Lower legs from top
of cannon bone
downwards
Standing or
anaesthetised
All tissues