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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Does the Low-Field MRI Appearance of Intraosseous STIR Hyper...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2021; 11(2); 475; doi: 10.3390/ani11020475

Does the Low-Field MRI Appearance of Intraosseous STIR Hyperintensity in Equine Cadaver Limbs Change when Subjected to a Freeze-Thaw Process?

Abstract: Equine advanced imaging research involving racehorse fetlock pathology commonly uses cadaver limbs and a freeze-thaw process. The presence of short tau inversion recovery (STIR) signal intensity in the distal third metacarpal/metatarsal bone is of particular interest and may be clinically relevant in the diagnosis of horses at risk of fracture. However, little is known about the effect of the freeze-thaw process on the MRI appearance of STIR hyperintensity in these bones. This study compares the low-field MRI appearance of the distal third metacarpal/metatarsal bone from cadaver limbs of Thoroughbreds in race training before and after a freeze-thaw protocol. Blinded and unblinded comparisons were made using objective SNR values and subjective grading. Fifteen cadaver limbs with STIR hyperintensity in the distal third metacarpal/metatarsal bone were included. No overall clinical or statistical significance was detected in STIR signal intensity and distribution after freeze-thaw. Three limbs from one horse had individual changes in STIR hyperintensity that were hypothesized to be attributable to ante-mortem haemodynamic abnormalities caused by anaesthesia. These results indicate that the distribution and intensity of STIR hyperintensity in freeze-thawed cadaver fetlocks can be considered representative of the appearance of pathology in the recently euthanized horse. However, care should be taken with horse selection and handling of the cadaver limbs to ensure reliable appearance of STIR signal after freeze-thaw.
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Publication Date: 2021-02-11 PubMed ID: 33670209PubMed Central: PMC7916973DOI: 10.3390/ani11020475Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article describes a study about the changes in MRI images of horse cadaver limbs subjected to a freeze-thaw process for the purpose of studying fetlock pathology in racehorses. The results suggest that the freeze-thaw process does not significantly alter the MRI appearance which is important in diagnosing horses at risk of fracture.

Research Context

  • In the field of equine advanced imaging, clarifying fetlock pathology, common in racehorses, often utilizes cadaver limbs through a freeze-thaw process. Of particular focus is the short tau inversion recovery (STIR) signal intensity observed in the distal third metacarpal/metatarsal bone. This has potential clinical implications in identifying horses at elevated risk of fractures.
  • The authors set out to explore the impact of the freeze-thaw process on the MRI visualization of STIR hyperintensity in these bones.

Study Methodology

  • The study compares the low-field MRI appearance of the distal third metacarpal/metatarsal bone from Thoroughbred cadaver limbs in race training before and after a freeze-thaw process.
  • Comparisons were made in two ways: blindly and unblinded, using objective signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values and subjective grading.
  • For the study, a total of fifteen cadaver limbs with STIR hyperintensity in the distal third metacarpal/metatarsal bone were included.

Key Research Findings

  • No significant clinical or statistical changes were found in the STIR signal intensity and distribution post freeze-thaw process.
  • Notably, three limbs from a single horse had individual changes in STIR hyperintensity that were hypothesized to be related to ante-mortem haemodynamic abnormalities instigated by the use of anaesthesia.
  • These findings suggest that the distribution and intensity of STIR hyperintensity in freeze-thawed cadaver fetlocks can be considered representative of the appearance of pathology in recently euthanized horses.

Implications and Recommendations

  • Despite the lack of major changes due to the freeze-thaw process, the authors recommend caution during horse selection and handling of cadaver limbs to ensure reliable STIR signal appearance following the freeze-thaw process.
  • This underscores the importance of taking careful measures to maintain the integrity of the imaging results in ongoing research, especially when studying pathologies that can potentially lead to fractures.

Cite This Article

APA
Johnston GCA, Ahern BJ, Woldeyohannes SM, Young AC. (2021). Does the Low-Field MRI Appearance of Intraosseous STIR Hyperintensity in Equine Cadaver Limbs Change when Subjected to a Freeze-Thaw Process? Animals (Basel), 11(2), 475. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020475

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 2
PII: 475

Researcher Affiliations

Johnston, Georgina C A
  • School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4343, Australia.
Ahern, Benjamin J
  • School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4343, Australia.
Woldeyohannes, Solomon M
  • School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4343, Australia.
Young, Alex C
  • School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4343, Australia.

Grant Funding

  • PRJ-012062 / Agrifutures Australia

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Daniel CR, Taylor SE, McPhee S, Wolfram U, Schwarz T, Sommer S, Kershaw LE. Relationship between CT-Derived Bone Mineral Density and UTE-MR-Derived Porosity Index in Equine Third Metacarpal and Metatarsal Bones. Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 31;13(17).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13172780pubmed: 37685045google scholar: lookup
  2. Bolz NM, Sánchez-Andrade JS, Torgerson PR, Bischofberger AS. Diagnostic Performance of Multi-Detector Computed Tomography Arthrography and 3-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Diagnose Experimentally Created Articular Cartilage Lesions in Equine Cadaver Stifles. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jul 14;13(14).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13142304pubmed: 37508081google scholar: lookup
  3. Germonpré J, Vandekerckhove LMJ, Raes E, Chiers K, Jans L, Vanderperren K. Post-mortem feasibility of dual-energy computed tomography in the detection of bone edema-like lesions in the equine foot: a proof of concept. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1201017.
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