Abstract
Aim:The present study was conducted to evaluate the equine palmar tendon by ultrasonography (USG) in standing the position.Materials and Methods:USG of palmar tendons was performed in 40 adult horses using linear transducer having frequency of 10-18 MHz (e-soate, My Lab FIVE) and L52 linear array transducer (Titan, SonoSite) with frequencies ranging from 8 to 10 MHz. Palmar tendon was divided into 7 levels from distal to accessory carpal bone up to ergot in transverse scanning and 3 levels in longitudinal scanning.Results:The USG evaluation was very useful for diagnosis of affections of the conditions such as chronic bowed tendon, suspensory ligament desmitis, carpal sheath tenosynovitis and digital sheath effusions. The mean cross-sectional area (cm2) of affected tendons was significantly increased in affected than normal tendons. The echogenicity was also found reduced in affected tendons and ligaments along with disorganization of fiber alignment depending on the severity of lesion and injury.Conclusion:USG proved ideal diagnostic tool for diagnosis and post-treatment healing assessment of tendon injuries in horses.
Highlights
Horse is a large land mammal notable for its speed, strength and endurance
Tendon injuries including the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) are common seen in horses and healing time varies depending on aspects such as the age, general health, the tendon involved and the severity of the injury described by Thorpe et al [2]
Accessory ligament (AL) or ICL was the third structure that appeared in both scanning planes in the proximal metacarpal region up to level 16 cm distal to the distal border of accessory carpal bone (DACB)
Summary
The horse is extremely well adapted to traveling long distances with great efficiency as described by Budiansky [1], Ultrasonography (USG) has enabled the practitioner to diagnose the presence of tendon and ligament injury, characterize the type of injury and quantitate its severity. Tendon injuries including the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) are common seen in horses and healing time varies depending on aspects such as the age, general health, the tendon involved and the severity of the injury described by Thorpe et al [2]. USG is currently being used to assess tendon healing and is becoming an essential part of the rehabilitation program for a horse recovering from a tendon or ligament injury as opined by Maoudifard [3], tendon injury is an important cause of wastage in racing due to a high frequency of re-injury and a less well defined adverse effect on performance. Diagnostic USG can identify tendon pathology and is manifested by changes in cross-sectional area (CSA), echogenicity, fiber pattern, shape, margination and position as per Davis et al.[4], US is currently an integral tool for the evaluation of equine tendons
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