Current and Emerging Quantitative Imaging Modalities for Diagnosing and Monitoring Equine Tendon and Ligament...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Equine Sports Medicine

Background:

• Traditional imaging methods have limitations in diagnosing equine tendon and ligament injuries.
• Technological advancements are crucial for improving diagnostic accuracy in equine musculoskeletal conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review advanced imaging modalities for equine soft tissue injuries.
• To highlight the benefits of elastography, CT, and MRI in equine diagnostics.
• To address the limitations of conventional imaging methods.

Main Methods:

• Review of elastography techniques in ultrasonography for tissue stiffness and strain.
• Examination of computed tomography (CT) innovations, including PET/CT fusion and dual-energy CT.
• Exploration of diffusion-weighted MRI for fiber microstructure and functionality assessment.

Main Results:

• Elastography provides insights into tissue mechanical properties.
• Advanced CT techniques offer enhanced anatomical and metabolic information.
• Diffusion-weighted MRI evaluates tissue microstructure and functional integrity.
• These modalities complement each other for comprehensive injury assessment.

Conclusions:

• Advanced imaging techniques significantly improve the diagnosis and management of equine soft tissue injuries.
• These methods enable earlier detection, better structural integrity assessment, and monitoring of healing.
• Veterinarians gain improved tools for predicting functional outcomes in equine injuries.