35 April 2015 The horse TheHorse.com
imaging," notes Barrett, meaning it
reveals bone activity rather than detailed
anatomic information. "If we see an
increased radiopharmaceutical uptake
in the hock, for example, we can get a
general but not precise sense of where
to look; it helps to localize areas. After
we see these areas of increased uptake,
we have to explore them further with
radiographs, nerve blocks, and so on. It's
part of the whole diagnostic toolkit."
Allen says this option is one of the most
sensitive modalities for reflecting changes
in the bone and where ligaments attach
to bone. "It's also one of the few modali
-
ties which can produce a view within an
hour or so of the inflammatory issues
taking place," he adds. "You can also see
areas of bony inflammation in which the
horse is not clinically unsound, but could
become so later."
This technology's downside is it lights
up all locations with bony changes. "Ex
-
perts must determine which areas are ac-
tually clinically significant," Barrett says.
"The information you get depends a lot
on breed, age, and activity of the horse."
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Today's arsenal of advanced diagnostic imaging options for horses include (from left to right) ultrasound, CT, and nuclear scintigraphy. Perhaps the most
sophisticated approach is recumbent or standing MRI (the latter shown on page 31).
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