A technique for magnetic resonance imaging of equine cadaver specimens.

The researchers successfully adapted a technique for magnetic resonance imaging from human cadaver limbs to equine limbs. They demonstrated that they could freeze and repeatedly defrost horse limbs without significantly affecting the image quality of their scans.

Research Objectives

• The primary motive behind this research was to test if a technique traditionally used for the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of human cadaver limbs could be applied effectively to equine cadaver specimens.

Experimental Method

• The forelimbs from a normal horse were collected for the experiment.
• These limbs were then frozen and sealed with a combination of paraffin and polymer to prepare them for imaging.
• The researchers then used a high- or midfield magnetic resonance scanner to image the specimens.
• Furthermore, each limb was defrosted, scanned, and refrozen on two separate occasions to test the consistency of the results.

Scoring and Evaluation

• The researchers used a five-point scale to assess the image quality of both sagittal and transverse, T1-weighted images of each digit in the horse’s forelimb.
• The scores of the first and second scans were then compared to measure the variation in image quality.

Research Findings and Conclusion

• The researchers found no significant difference in the image quality between the first and second scans of either specimen, which suggests that the image quality was maintained after the specimens were defrosted and refrozen.
• This led to the conclusion that this technique offers a viable method for banking tissue specimens for the future use of magnetic resonance imaging without significant degradation in image quality.