Sonography, also known as ultrasound imaging, is a diagnostic tool used in equine medicine to visualize internal structures of horses. It employs high-frequency sound waves to produce images of organs, tissues, and other internal features without the use of ionizing radiation. Sonography is commonly utilized to assess soft tissue injuries, monitor pregnancies, and evaluate conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system, abdomen, and thoracic cavity in horses. This non-invasive technique allows for real-time observation and is valuable for guiding certain medical procedures. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the application, methodology, and advancements of sonography in equine veterinary practice.
Haardt H, Romero AE, Boysen SR, Tan JY.Abdominal ultrasonography is valuable in the diagnosis of equine colic. Fast localized abdominal sonography of horses (FLASH) enables practitioners with limited experience to perform ultrasonography in emergency settings. However, many practitioners only possess rectal format linear array transducers (RFLT). The hypotheses are: (a) A low frequency curvilinear transducer (LFCT) and RFLT will detect free abdominal fluid and abnormal small intestinal loops with similar frequency during FLASH, and (b) there will be a difference between the transducers for detection of gastric abnormalities and nep...
Steinfeld Y, Akian R, Rovitsky A, Puchkov N, Keren Y.In recent years, treatment for Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) went through radical changes: from the conservative non-weight bearing approach to a functional protocol. This functional protocol allows complete weight bearing after only 2 weeks by placing the foot in a plastic boot in tapered down equines and using interchangeable wedges under the heel. This change of approach has dramatically lowered the rate of re-rupture. Objective: To describe our preliminary results with this functional protocol and to assess outcome measures in the functional conservative treatment. Methods: The study compr...
Straticò P, Guerri G, Palozzo A, Di Francesco P, Vignoli M, Varasano V, Petrizzi L.Capsulitis leads to the release of inflammatory mediators in the joint, causing capsular fibrosis and osteoarthritis (OA). Strain elastosonography (SE) measures the elasticity of tissue by evaluating its strain in operator-dependent deformation. The aims of the study were to assess the feasibility, repeatability, and reproducibility of SE for imaging the distal attachment of the joint capsule (DJC) of metacarpophalangeal joints in sound horses (Group S) and in horses with metacarpophalangeal OA (Group P) and to evaluate differences in the elastosonographic patterns of these horses. After a who...
Maher MA, Farghali HAM, Abdelnaby EA, Emam IA.The present study was performed on 12 heads of donkey's cadavers of both sexes for different anatomic techniques and on 20 live adult donkeys for ultrasonographic approaches of local anesthetic techniques. The aim was to achieve safe desensitization of the ear canal and tympanic membrane in addition to measuring different parameters of the structures occupying the infra-auricular parotid region. The internal auricular nerve was divided into two fine branches and constituting, at its origin, a characteristic V-shape with the caudal auricular nerve. The styloid process of auricular cartilage was...
Brogan PT, Henning H, Stout TA, de Ruijter-Villani M.Colour-flow Doppler sonography has been described as a means of assessing corpus luteum (CL) function rapidly, because area of luteal blood vessels correlates well with circulating progesterone (P4) concentrations [P4] in oestrous cycling mares. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between CL size and vascularity, and circulating [P4] during early pregnancy in mares, and to determine whether luteal blood flow was a useful aid for selecting an embryo transfer recipient. Equine embryos (n=48) were recovered 8 days after ovulation and were transferred to available recipient mares...
Passamonti F, Vardi DM, Stefanetti V, Marenzoni ML, Prato S, Cévese P, Coletti M, Pepe M, Casagrande Proietti P, Olea-Popelka F.Early diagnosis and prevention of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals represent important goals for equine clinicians. Recent protocols for diagnosis and treatment of Rhodococcosis in foals typically rely on a multimodal approach based on sonographic evidence suggestive of pyogranulomas, sonographic abscess scores and laboratory findings including plasma fibrinogen concentrations, blood biochemistry testing and platelet and leukocyte counts. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of weekly testing of serum amyloid A (SAA) and plasma fibrinogen concentrations in foals to achieve early ...
Peters ST, Hopkins A, Stewart S, Slack J, de Solis CN.To describe the clinical findings and management of myocardial injury secondary to blunt thoracic trauma and rib fracture in an adult horse. Methods: A 6-year-old Warmblood gelding presented for treatment of blunt thoracic trauma. Sonographic examination of the thorax revealed a complete, mildly comminuted fracture of the left 5th rib with a fragment overlying the left atrium and coronary artery, hemothorax, and subjective left ventricular dyskinesis. Evidence of myocardial injury included atrial fibrillation, ventricular ectopy, and increased plasma cardiac troponin I concentration. The rib f...
Labens R, Schramme MC, Robertson ID, Thrall DE, Redding WR.Sonography is commonly used for diagnosis of desmopathy of the proximal part of the suspensory ligament in horses. However, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has been stated to be superior for detecting disease and localizing lesions. In this retrospective study of 39 horses or 46 hind limbs with lameness due to proximal plantar metatarsal pain, the clinical and diagnostic findings are discussed and sonography and MR imaging compared for examination of the proximal part of the suspensory ligament. With MR imaging interpreted as the clinical gold standard, desmopathy of the proximal part of the s...
Bollwein H, Mayer R, Stolla R.Transrectal color Doppler sonography was used for the noninvasive investigation of uterine blood flow in five mares. Both the left and right uterine arteries were scanned to obtain blood flow velocity waveforms during two consecutive estrous cycles and two early pregnancies in each mare. Blood flow was expressed as the time-averaged maximum velocity (TAMV) and the resistance index (RI). In all pregnancies the embryonic vesicle could be detected for the first time on Day 11 (day of ovulation: Day 0). No differences in mean TAMV and RI values of both uterine arteries were observed in comparison ...
Hoffmann KL, Wood AK, Griffiths KA, Evans DL, Gill RW, Kirby AC.In six normal adult horses, pulsed-wave Doppler sonographic inspections were made of the left and right lateral palmar proper digital artery (LPPDA) of each thoracic limb. Using a two-period, crossover design with repeated measures, each LPPDA was inspected on four occasions throughout the day over a 7 hour period and, on each occasion, with the limb weight bearing and non-weight bearing. In comparison with the observations made during weight bearing, there were significant increases (P<0.001) in blood-flow velocities when the limb was non-weight bearing. There was no relationship between b...
Micklethwaite L, Wood AK, Sehgal CM, Polansky M, Dowling BA, Dart AJ, Rose RJ, Hodgson DR.To determine whether quantitative analysis of sonographic brightness could be used to detect healing of an induced injury of the superficial digital flexor tendon in horses and whether rate of healing was influenced by equine recombinant growth hormone. Methods: 8 clinically normal Standardbreds. Methods: A localized injury was created in the left and right superficial digital flexor tendons of each horse by injection of 2,000 units of collagenase. After injury, 4 horses received equine recombinant growth hormone, a possible promoter of tendon healing. Sonographic images (7.5 MHz) of the flexo...
Coenen M.The control of husbandry by veterinarians with the prospect of animal welfare demands a valuation of the nutritional status of farm animals. The situation of main importance is a suspected undernutrition. A prolonged failure in nutrient and energy supply results in mobilisation of body fat as well as body protein. Especially the protein depletion includes a loss of capacity of several essential functions, e.g. of the immune system or the respiratory tract. Undernutrition is often classified as stress, but the typical parameters for stress related reactions offer no sufficient information to ev...
Meier HP, Gertsch U, Kohler S.Twin pregnancies are a serious problem in stud medicine as they terminate in most cases in abortion, stillbirth or the delivery of dead or weak and deformed foals. In recent years, the introduction of sonography has greatly improved the management of mares with twin conceptuses, in particular monitoring the phenomenon of spontaneous embryo reduction to a single vesicle. This allows supervision of pregnancy with relatively little expenditure and loss of time. We document the spontaneous reduction to single vesicles of unilateral twin pregnancies in a draught- and a warmblood-mare. In both mares...
Meister D, Fürst A, Kaegi B, Struchen C, Kaser-Hotz B, Flückiger M.In a retrospective study the tolerance to Teflon coated catheters in long-term intravenous medication was evaluated in 80 horses. Catheters were inserted into the jugular vein and remained there for 3 to 30 days (average 8.6 days). Catheters were flushed using an heparinized solution after each medication administration. The site of catheter placement was evaluated daily for swelling, pain and venous distensibility respectively. Swelling at the site of insertion was noted in 10 horses, a small subcutaneous abscess formation was identified in one horse. Fourteen sonographic evaluations were per...
Passamonti F, Vardi DM, Stefanetti V, Marenzoni ML, Prato S, Cévese P, Coletti M, Pepe M, Casagrande Proietti P, Olea-Popelka F.Early diagnosis and prevention of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals represent important goals for equine clinicians. Recent protocols for diagnosis and treatment of Rhodococcosis in foals typically rely on a multimodal approach based on sonographic evidence suggestive of pyogranulomas, sonographic abscess scores and laboratory findings including plasma fibrinogen concentrations, blood biochemistry testing and platelet and leukocyte counts. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of weekly testing of serum amyloid A (SAA) and plasma fibrinogen concentrations in foals to achieve early ...
Maher MA, Farghali HAM, Abdelnaby EA, Emam IA.The present study was performed on 12 heads of donkey's cadavers of both sexes for different anatomic techniques and on 20 live adult donkeys for ultrasonographic approaches of local anesthetic techniques. The aim was to achieve safe desensitization of the ear canal and tympanic membrane in addition to measuring different parameters of the structures occupying the infra-auricular parotid region. The internal auricular nerve was divided into two fine branches and constituting, at its origin, a characteristic V-shape with the caudal auricular nerve. The styloid process of auricular cartilage was...
Bollwein H, Mayer R, Stolla R.Transrectal color Doppler sonography was used for the noninvasive investigation of uterine blood flow in five mares. Both the left and right uterine arteries were scanned to obtain blood flow velocity waveforms during two consecutive estrous cycles and two early pregnancies in each mare. Blood flow was expressed as the time-averaged maximum velocity (TAMV) and the resistance index (RI). In all pregnancies the embryonic vesicle could be detected for the first time on Day 11 (day of ovulation: Day 0). No differences in mean TAMV and RI values of both uterine arteries were observed in comparison ...
Hoffmann KL, Wood AK, Griffiths KA, Evans DL, Gill RW, Kirby AC.In six normal adult horses, pulsed-wave Doppler sonographic inspections were made of the left and right lateral palmar proper digital artery (LPPDA) of each thoracic limb. Using a two-period, crossover design with repeated measures, each LPPDA was inspected on four occasions throughout the day over a 7 hour period and, on each occasion, with the limb weight bearing and non-weight bearing. In comparison with the observations made during weight bearing, there were significant increases (P<0.001) in blood-flow velocities when the limb was non-weight bearing. There was no relationship between b...
Straticò P, Guerri G, Palozzo A, Di Francesco P, Vignoli M, Varasano V, Petrizzi L.Capsulitis leads to the release of inflammatory mediators in the joint, causing capsular fibrosis and osteoarthritis (OA). Strain elastosonography (SE) measures the elasticity of tissue by evaluating its strain in operator-dependent deformation. The aims of the study were to assess the feasibility, repeatability, and reproducibility of SE for imaging the distal attachment of the joint capsule (DJC) of metacarpophalangeal joints in sound horses (Group S) and in horses with metacarpophalangeal OA (Group P) and to evaluate differences in the elastosonographic patterns of these horses. After a who...
Meister D, Fürst A, Kaegi B, Struchen C, Kaser-Hotz B, Flückiger M.In a retrospective study the tolerance to Teflon coated catheters in long-term intravenous medication was evaluated in 80 horses. Catheters were inserted into the jugular vein and remained there for 3 to 30 days (average 8.6 days). Catheters were flushed using an heparinized solution after each medication administration. The site of catheter placement was evaluated daily for swelling, pain and venous distensibility respectively. Swelling at the site of insertion was noted in 10 horses, a small subcutaneous abscess formation was identified in one horse. Fourteen sonographic evaluations were per...
Micklethwaite L, Wood AK, Sehgal CM, Polansky M, Dowling BA, Dart AJ, Rose RJ, Hodgson DR.To determine whether quantitative analysis of sonographic brightness could be used to detect healing of an induced injury of the superficial digital flexor tendon in horses and whether rate of healing was influenced by equine recombinant growth hormone. Methods: 8 clinically normal Standardbreds. Methods: A localized injury was created in the left and right superficial digital flexor tendons of each horse by injection of 2,000 units of collagenase. After injury, 4 horses received equine recombinant growth hormone, a possible promoter of tendon healing. Sonographic images (7.5 MHz) of the flexo...
Labens R, Schramme MC, Robertson ID, Thrall DE, Redding WR.Sonography is commonly used for diagnosis of desmopathy of the proximal part of the suspensory ligament in horses. However, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has been stated to be superior for detecting disease and localizing lesions. In this retrospective study of 39 horses or 46 hind limbs with lameness due to proximal plantar metatarsal pain, the clinical and diagnostic findings are discussed and sonography and MR imaging compared for examination of the proximal part of the suspensory ligament. With MR imaging interpreted as the clinical gold standard, desmopathy of the proximal part of the s...
Steinfeld Y, Akian R, Rovitsky A, Puchkov N, Keren Y.In recent years, treatment for Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) went through radical changes: from the conservative non-weight bearing approach to a functional protocol. This functional protocol allows complete weight bearing after only 2 weeks by placing the foot in a plastic boot in tapered down equines and using interchangeable wedges under the heel. This change of approach has dramatically lowered the rate of re-rupture. Objective: To describe our preliminary results with this functional protocol and to assess outcome measures in the functional conservative treatment. Methods: The study compr...
Brogan PT, Henning H, Stout TA, de Ruijter-Villani M.Colour-flow Doppler sonography has been described as a means of assessing corpus luteum (CL) function rapidly, because area of luteal blood vessels correlates well with circulating progesterone (P4) concentrations [P4] in oestrous cycling mares. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between CL size and vascularity, and circulating [P4] during early pregnancy in mares, and to determine whether luteal blood flow was a useful aid for selecting an embryo transfer recipient. Equine embryos (n=48) were recovered 8 days after ovulation and were transferred to available recipient mares...
Coenen M.The control of husbandry by veterinarians with the prospect of animal welfare demands a valuation of the nutritional status of farm animals. The situation of main importance is a suspected undernutrition. A prolonged failure in nutrient and energy supply results in mobilisation of body fat as well as body protein. Especially the protein depletion includes a loss of capacity of several essential functions, e.g. of the immune system or the respiratory tract. Undernutrition is often classified as stress, but the typical parameters for stress related reactions offer no sufficient information to ev...
Meier HP, Gertsch U, Kohler S.Twin pregnancies are a serious problem in stud medicine as they terminate in most cases in abortion, stillbirth or the delivery of dead or weak and deformed foals. In recent years, the introduction of sonography has greatly improved the management of mares with twin conceptuses, in particular monitoring the phenomenon of spontaneous embryo reduction to a single vesicle. This allows supervision of pregnancy with relatively little expenditure and loss of time. We document the spontaneous reduction to single vesicles of unilateral twin pregnancies in a draught- and a warmblood-mare. In both mares...
Peters ST, Hopkins A, Stewart S, Slack J, de Solis CN.To describe the clinical findings and management of myocardial injury secondary to blunt thoracic trauma and rib fracture in an adult horse. Methods: A 6-year-old Warmblood gelding presented for treatment of blunt thoracic trauma. Sonographic examination of the thorax revealed a complete, mildly comminuted fracture of the left 5th rib with a fragment overlying the left atrium and coronary artery, hemothorax, and subjective left ventricular dyskinesis. Evidence of myocardial injury included atrial fibrillation, ventricular ectopy, and increased plasma cardiac troponin I concentration. The rib f...
Haardt H, Romero AE, Boysen SR, Tan JY.Abdominal ultrasonography is valuable in the diagnosis of equine colic. Fast localized abdominal sonography of horses (FLASH) enables practitioners with limited experience to perform ultrasonography in emergency settings. However, many practitioners only possess rectal format linear array transducers (RFLT). The hypotheses are: (a) A low frequency curvilinear transducer (LFCT) and RFLT will detect free abdominal fluid and abnormal small intestinal loops with similar frequency during FLASH, and (b) there will be a difference between the transducers for detection of gastric abnormalities and nep...
