Low-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging Feature of
Severe Chronic Fetlock Injury in a Horse
Yechan Jung, Jimo Jeong, Sangjun Park and Kichang
Lee*
College of Veterinary
Medicine,
Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756, Korea *Corresponding author:kclee@jbnu.ac.kr
Abstract
A German warmblood horse with severe soft tissue
swelling of the fetlock joint showed a minimal weight-bearing during the motion
and at rest and presented with pain on palpation. Ultrasonography was used to
evaluate soft tissue including tendons and ligaments, but the assessment by
sonogram was unproductive due to poor skin contact and severe acoustic
attenuation. On low-field MRI, severe multiple chronic tendinopathy, desmopathy
and sesamoiditis with skin thickening of affected extremity was evidently
apparent. In this case, most of the major lesions including tendon, ligament,
and connective tissues were successfully evaluated using low-field MRI, while
the sonographic examination is not possible due to the extensive skin problems.
Low-field MRI was performed for more reliable imaging modality to examine equine
fetlock joint with severe chronic lesions.