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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