Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
The use of CT and CT arthrography in diagnosing equine stifle injury in a Rheinlander gelding.
- Journal:
- Equine veterinary journal
- Year:
- 2010
- Authors:
- Crijns, C P et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Medical Imaging and Small Animal Orthopeadics
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old Rheinlander gelding was having trouble with his left hind leg, specifically in the stifle area, which is the joint similar to a human knee. Despite various tests like physical exams and X-rays, the exact cause of his lameness wasn't clear. To get a better look, veterinarians used advanced imaging techniques called computed tomography (CT) and CT arthrography, which can show bones, cartilage, and soft tissues in detail. These tests revealed several serious issues in the stifle, including a specific type of cartilage injury, bone fragments, and damage to a ligament. Unfortunately, the outlook for the horse to continue competing was not good, leading to the difficult decision to euthanize him. The findings from the CT scans were later confirmed during a post-mortem examination.
Abstract
A 5-year-old Rheinlander gelding was evaluated for left hindlimb stifle lameness. The lameness was localised to the stifle, but source of the lameness was not specifically diagnosed from the physical, radiographic and ultrasonographic examinations. Computed tomography (CT) and CT arthrography were therefore used for further investigation since these imaging techniques image bony structures, cartilage and soft tissues. This examination showed multiple lesions in the stifle: an osteochondrosis dissecans like lesion of the medial femoral condyle, bony fragments, cartilage trauma and caudal cruciate ligament injury. The prognosis for continuing use as a sports horse was regarded as unfavourable. Therefore, the horse was subjected to euthanasia. All CT findings were confirmed by gross pathology. The CT and CT arthrography examination in this case provided a diagnosis not achieved with other conventional imaging techniques.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20525057/