Muscle strain injuries of the hindlimb in eight horses: diagnostic imaging, management and outcomes.

The study reviews the medical records of eight horses with hindlimb muscle tear injuries, utilizing techniques such as ultrasound and nuclear scintigraphy to assess the extent of the injuries, their treatment, and subsequent outcomes. The research underlines the helpfulness of ultrasonography in diagnosing and evaluating such injuries, and suggests that the prognosis is generally favorable, although re-injury and lingering gait abnormalities can sometimes impede full recovery.

Methodology

• The study was a retrospective case series that examined the medical records of eight horses diagnosed with hindlimb muscle tear injuries.
• Information on characteristics such as age and breed, history, presenting complaint, physical examination findings, and any additional diagnostic tests was gathered from these records.
• To diagnose muscle injuries, abnormal ultrasound findings were compared with the contralateral (opposite) limb. Nuclear scintigraphy was employed in some cases.
• The team also obtained follow-up information through phone interviews with the owners, trainers, and referring veterinarians of the horses.

Results

• The study identified muscle tears in different muscles across the eight horses. Lameness was caused by tears in the middle gluteal, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and gracilis muscles.
• Ultrasound imaging was used to classify the muscle tears as either partial or complete.
• The study found no direct correlation between the degree of lameness and the extent of the injury or the completion of healing.
• Long-term follow-up was available for seven of the eight horses, and the outcome was favorable in six of these cases.

Conclusions

• The authors conclude that ultrasonography is a helpful tool in diagnosing and assessing moderate to severe muscle strain injuries in horses.
• The prognosis was found to be generally positive, with the majority of the horses making a favorable recovery. However, there is a risk of re-injury, and persistent abnormalities in the horses’ gait could delay a return to athletic activity or result in less than optimal outcomes.