Musculoskeletal Ultrasonography in Normal Feral Pigeons (Columba livia F. dom.)

Avian orthopedic disorders are common but can be challenging to diagnose. Radiographic examination and, to a lesser extent, computed tomography are the main diagnostic techniques used to assess avian orthopedic problems, whereas sonography is rarely applied. The objective of this study was to determine whether B-mode ultrasonography could be used to noninvasively evaluate the pectoral region and peripheral skeleton of 17 live feral pigeons (Columba livia f. dom.) (body weight: 270 ± 34.5 g) presented for clinical examination. The ultrasound examination (General Electric ≥ LOGIQ S7 Expert, GE Healthcare, Buckinghamshire, UK) was performed using a GE L8-18I-D "hockey stick" transducer with an 8-18 MHz frequency range (AME Ultrasound, Suffern, NY, USA). The results of the pigeon ultrasound examinations provided clinical data regarding the bone cortex and surrounding soft tissues of the pectoral region, shoulder girdle, wing, and leg. The overall long bone thickness, total cortical bone thickness, and clavicle thickness of each bird were measured using radiography and B-mode sonography to determine the statistical concordance between these diagnostic methods using the Lin concordance correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman plots. Fisher z-transformation was used to calculate 95% confidence intervals and standardize P values for each connection. The agreement analysis revealed a significant positive concordance between radiographic and ultrasound measurements for overall long bone thickness (Lin concordance correlation coefficient = 0.655, 95% CI: 0.520-0.758, P < 0.001); no other comparisons were significant. This study provides evidence that B-mode ultrasonography can qualitatively assess pigeons' musculoskeletal systems, notably in the pectoral area and proximal limbs. This technique can also be used to acquire measurements of the structures thicker than 0.2 cm, which may be used for osteosynthesis planning or monitoring neoplastic conditions posttreatment.